Dehradun, July 19 (HS): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand, prompting the state government to direct authorities to remain on high alert over the next four days.

According to the IMD, Nainital, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar districts are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated places expected to witness extremely heavy showers. Heavy to very heavy rain has also been forecast for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar and Bageshwar districts, while Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Almora and

Pithoragarh are likely to experience heavy rainfall. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning have also been forecast in several parts of the state.

The weather office has issued a red alert for Dehradun, Haridwar and Tehri districts on July 20. Orange and yellow alerts will remain in force across different districts on July 21 and 22.

In view of the forecast, the state government has directed continuous monitoring of vulnerable areas, round-the-clock operation of district disaster control rooms, deployment of rescue and relief teams, and positioning of machinery along landslide-prone routes.

Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, appealed to residents, Char Dham pilgrims and tourists to strictly follow weather advisories, avoid unnecessary travel and check weather and road conditions before undertaking any journey. He advised people to contact emergency helplines 112, 1070 and 1077 in case of any emergency.

Meanwhile, intermittent rainfall continued across most parts of the state, including Dehradun, on Sunday. The IMD said the capital is likely to witness several spells of light to moderate rain during the day, with heavy rainfall at isolated places.

During the past 24 hours, Haldwani recorded 108 mm of rainfall, followed by Thal (103.5 mm), Dehradun's Hathibarkala area (93 mm), Dharchula (92.4 mm) and Maldevta (80.5 mm).

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar