Himachal Weather: First heavy monsoon rains wreak havoc; several roads closed, power and water supply disrupted

July 2, 2026

The onset of the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh has severely disrupted normal life across several districts due to heavy rains and landslides. Amidst weather department alerts, cloudbursts occurred at two locations in Lahaul-Spiti and one in Chamba on Wednesday, causing significant damage. In Mandi district, a woman died after being struck by a falling rock from a hillside. Continuous rainfall has caused rivers and streams across the state to swell. Chamba recorded 544 percent more rainfall than normal over the last 24 hours. However, humidity has risen in areas where there was no rainfall; Una recorded a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius.

Cloudbursts struck two locations in Lahaul-Spiti on Tuesday night. A cloudburst in Jispa triggered a flash flood in a local stream. Debris blocked the Manali-Leh National Highway, while the Tandi-Sansari road also had to be closed to traffic. A cloudburst-induced flood in Padak village of Pattan Valley caused extensive damage to crops and disrupted the Rewaling link road. In Chamba, a cloudburst in the Kidi Panchayat of Saho damaged apple orchards. On the Kidi-Banjal road, a 500-meter stretch near Jungli Nala was washed away, and three footbridges near Kainchi Mor were swept away by the water.

Connectivity disrupted 

Connectivity to around 30 Panchayats was disrupted as the Pathankot-Bharmour Highway and Chamba-Tissa road remained closed for several hours. Debris entered several homes in Salooni, while a JCB machine was buried under debris on the Kilar-Sechu road. In Mandi district, amidst heavy rain on Wednesday morning, a woman who had stepped out of her car near the Shani Temple in Aut was struck by a falling rock and died. Several rivers and streams in the district, including the Beas, are in spate.

According to the State Disaster Management Authority, 35 roads across the state are closed, and 127 electricity transformers are non-functional due to the rain. Power and drinking water supplies have been disrupted in several areas. Heavy rains in Una submerged roads, disrupted vegetable market operations, and flooded a school campus. In Bharwain, a section of the National Highway has caved in, putting three shops at risk. In Rampur, the rising water level of the Ganvi Khad (stream) cut off access to three panchayats.

A flash flood in the Rispa Nallah in Kinnaur district washed away the road connecting the village, while water is being continuously released from the Nathpa Dam. A massive landslide in the Kyarar area, along the Bilaspur-Solan border, blocked the Shimla-Mataur National Highway for approximately eight hours. This caused significant inconvenience to thousands of travelers commuting between Shimla, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Mandi.

Orange Alert for Today and Tomorrow

The Meteorological Department has issued an ‘Orange Alert’ for heavy rainfall in four districts—Kangra, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur—for July 2 and 3, while a ‘Yellow Alert’ is in place for the remaining districts. No significant rainfall is expected in the state on July 4. Orange and Yellow alerts have been issued again for July 5 and 6. The weather is forecast to remain inclement across the state until July 7.