In the wake of heavy rains lashing parts of Uttarakhand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a 'red alert’ for the hilly state. In its latest bulletin, IMD has predicted “heavy to very heavy” rainfall for August 13 and 14.

Notably, this comes at a time when the state has been receiving extremely heavy rains for several days, leaving a trail of destruction behind. With incessant rains lashing many districts of the state, it has also caused waterlogging and flooding in places, which has disrupted the normal lives of the people.

Water levels have also risen in many parts, leaving houses submerged in the water in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh.

IMD's red alert for Uttarakhand

Speaking about the weather report for Uttarakhand, IMD while alerting people to stay informed and safe, warned about “heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall” (more than 204.4 mm) on August 13 and 14.

It has also predicted possible chances of localised flooding and landslides due to the rains. Considering the current situation, IMD has asked people to avoid areas prone to waterlogging and to stay away from vulnerable structures.

“Red Alert: Critical Rainfall Expected,” the IMD tweet read.

Red Alert: Critical Rainfall ExpectedUrgent red alert issued for #Uttarakhand as heavy to very heavy rainfall, reaching extremely heavy levels (more than 204.4 mm), is forecasted for August 13th & 14th.Stay safe!@moesgoi @DDNewslive @ndmaindia @airnewsalerts pic.twitter.com/sBTPeD0HmZ

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) August 12, 2023

Rescue operations are underway in Uttarakhand

The warnings come at a time when rescue operations are being undertaken across the disaster-hit areas in Uttarakhand. Following the instructions of CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, teams of SDRF and NDRF have been deployed at the required spots, while two helicopters have been also kept on standby.

Uttarakhand rains

As stated by the State Disaster Management Department, heavy monsoons over the past few days have created havoc across Uttarakhand, causing a loss of over 600 crores, which is expected to increase in the coming days. Apart from that, 52 people have been reportedly killed in rain-related incidents, while 37 have been injured and around 19 people are said to be missing in different accidents.

Recently, five pilgrims were also killed after their car was buried under the debris of a landslide in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district.

In view of the current situation, chief minister Dhami has been assuring that the government is working towards restoring normalcy in the state and further towards providing quick aid and relief to the people.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)