Shimla, Aug. 6 -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a fresh alert warning that monsoon rains are likely to persist across Himachal Pradesh till August 12, with several districts expected to witness heavy to hefty rainfall due to the combined impact of the active southwest monsoon and a western disturbance.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Senior Scientist at the IMD Centre in Shimla, said that rainfall activity has been widespread across the state over the last 24 hours.

"The intensity of rain over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the past 24 hours was due to the convergence of an active monsoon system and a western disturbance. This combination led to strong winds and localised cloud formation, ...