104 roads and three national highways have been blocked due to rain and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh. According to the information from the administration, 99 roads have been closed in Lahaul and Spiti, three roads in Kullu, and one road each in Chamba and Kangra. Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority said that a bridge has been washed away due to rain in Kangra. The construction of the new bridge is likely to be completed by the end of this month. Apart from this, vehicular movement to Keylong has been stopped due to a massive landslide at Selfie Point near Sissu on the Manali-Keylong Highway.

Yellow alert issued in Himachal Pradesh:
India Meteorological Department has issued yellow alerts of thunderstorms with lightning at different places in many parts of Himachal Pradesh on 22 and 23 April. According to IMD's forecast, there is a possibility of more than normal rainfall across the country during the southwest monsoon.

According to the IMD forecast released earlier this week, seasonal rainfall from June to September is expected to be above normal. However, the latest projections from the Monsoon Mission Climate Forecast System (MMCFS) and other climate models suggest neutral El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions with the weakening of El Nino conditions in the early part of the monsoon season. 

IMD said that 106% i.e. 87 cm rainfall may occur in 2024. The Long Period Average (LPA) for the 4-month monsoon season is 868.6 mm i.e. 86.86 cm, that is, the total rainfall should be this much in the monsoon season. 

Apart from this, IMD says that during the last three months (January to March 2024), the snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has been below normal. Such deviation from the norm in the extent of snow cover can affect weather patterns, including the upcoming monsoon season.