The weather system driving this spell is losing strength as it tracks north-northwestwards, but forecasters say its effects will keep large parts of central and northern India soaked for now. Thunderstorms and gusty winds are also expected to sweep through several states. North India’s spell of heavy rain shows no sign of easing, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall on Sunday, September 27, along with isolated extremely heavy showers over Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand looks set for the heaviest rain on Sunday, with the IMD warning of heavy to very heavy showers and isolated extremely heavy rainfall in places. A western disturbance, a weather system travelling eastwards through the upper atmosphere, is adding to the mix over northern India. All this is unfolding even as the southwest monsoon begins its retreat. But the monsoon hasn’t pulled out of all of north India just yet, and this transition period can still throw up spells of intense rain. In Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Yatra was suspended from Saturday afternoon through Sunday after the Meteorological Centre and State Emergency Operation Centre issued a red alert for adverse weather.
Because of unfavourable weather, with flights halted as a safety precaution, helicopter services for the Kedarnath Yatra have been grounded since morning. This follows an already intense spell in the hill state, with similar warnings issued for September 26. As of September 26, the IMD’s withdrawal line ran from Gurdaspur through Chandigarh, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh, Dholpur, Udaipur and Deesa before reaching Naliya and the Arabian Sea.
Prajapati Nautiyal, Officer on Special Duty for the Char Dham Yatra, told ANI the call was made with pilgrim safety as the priority. “Therefore, prioritising the safety of pilgrims and in accordance with the directives of the Garhwal Commissioner, the Char Dham Yatra has been suspended from this afternoon until tomorrow, September 27, 2026,” he said, urging pilgrims to stay put in safe locations until conditions improve. “We are continuously informing and advising pilgrims to wait until the adverse weather conditions pass before proceeding,” he added.
