Shimla: The Meteorological Department has issued an alert regarding cyclonic storm Tauktae, that is likely to cause heavy to very heavy rains in isolated places Himachal Pradesh in the next two days.

A significant impact of the storm is also likely to impact the areas adjacent to the state of Uttarakhand.

The Meteorological Department has instructed people to be cautious about Tauktae storm in the upper reaches of Sirmaur, Shimla, Solan, Kullu, Mandi and Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti.

The maximum effect of the storm can be on Wednesday in the next 24 hours, while its effect is expected to be less on Thursday.

The storm can cause possibility of disruption of communication and connectivity, along with uprooting of trees, breaking of electrical wires and falling of poles.

Director of the Meteorological Center, Shimla, Manmohan Singh said that due to the activation of Tauktae storm and western disturbances in the state, storms, heavy rains and celestial lightning is expected in the next 2 days.

He said that there is widespread rainfall activity likely over northwest India (except Jammu and Kashmir) with heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls at isolated places over Himachal, Uttrakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh and heavy rainfall at isolated places over Punjab, East Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan on 19 May.

While, the rainfall activity is very likely to decrease from 20 May with scattered to fairly widespread rainfall over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, UP, Himachal and Uttrakhand, however some isolated places in these states and UT are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall, he said, adding that rainfall activity will decrease significantly over the region from 21 May.