SHIMLA — Torrential monsoon rains over the past two weeks have triggered flash floods and landslides in India’s northern Himalayan states, killing at least 69 people and injuring 110, officials said.

Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand, both popular tourist destinations, were hit hardest as swollen rivers, including the Beas, cut off roads and inundated villages. The weather office has warned of more “heavy to very heavy rainfall” in the coming days.

India’s monsoon season, vital for water supplies, often brings deadly destruction. Last month, heavy rains killed 30 in the northeast, with the Brahmaputra river overflowing in Assam, while landslides and floods struck Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Manipur.

Climate shifts are altering weather patterns, but scientists remain uncertain about their exact impact on monsoons. This year’s rains began earlier than usual, flooding Mumbai in the earliest monsoon onset in nearly 25 years.