Rain fury grips north India, at least 17 dead in UP, mudslide in Himachal

• Himachal: Shooting stones and mudflow blocked National Highway-5 in Kinnaur’s Maling Nala area, disrupting traffic on the Chaura-Samdo stretch.

• UP and Uttarakhand: Extremely heavy rain has triggered flooding and deaths in Uttar Pradesh, while the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended in Uttarakhand amid adverse weather.

• More rain ahead: IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rain across parts of north and central India, with Himachal expected to receive precipitation until 29 September.

Heavy rain disrupted road connectivity in Himachal Pradesh and triggered flooding and other rain-related disruptions across several states on Sunday, 27 September, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting more intense rainfall in parts of north and central India.

In Himachal Pradesh, National Highway-5 was blocked to vehicular movement after shooting stones and mudflow hit the Maling Nala area of Kinnaur district, officials said.

According to the district police, continuous rainfall triggered shooting stones and mudflow along the Chaura-Samdo stretch of the highway, forcing its closure. The highway had earlier also been blocked near Tapri because of mudflow, leaving several vehicles stranded and causing inconvenience to commuters.

Teams from the district administration, police and Public Works Department (PWD) have been deployed at the affected sites to restore traffic movement. Machinery has been pressed into service to clear the accumulated muck and remove vehicles stranded near Tapri.

The weather has also deteriorated in higher reaches of the state, with light snowfall reported in Kinnaur and other high-altitude areas. The Meteorological Centre, Shimla, has issued an orange alert for Sirmaur and yellow alerts for Bilaspur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Kinnaur for 27 September.

The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, with snowfall possible in higher reaches. Rainfall is expected to continue across the state until 29 September, after which conditions are likely to improve.

Uttar Pradesh has been among the worst affected states, with extremely heavy rainfall over the past 48 hours triggering floods, damaging crops and property and forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. At least 17 people were reported killed in the state, with several areas witnessing severe waterlogging and flood-like conditions.

In Uttarakhand, heavy rain has disrupted normal life and the Char Dham Yatra was suspended amid adverse weather conditions. The IMD has forecast extremely heavy rainfall in parts of the state.

The rain has also affected parts of central and eastern India. In Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, around 525 people were evacuated to safer locations after severe flooding triggered by heavy rainfall in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Floodwaters have since begun to recede and the situation is gradually improving.

West Bengal and Odisha have also witnessed periods of heavy rain linked to a weather system over the Bay of Bengal. south Odisha reported disruption to road connectivity after strong winds and rain uprooted trees in Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning across several states in the coming days, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

With PTI inputs