The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued district-wise weather warnings for several states on Tuesday, cautioning residents about thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rainfall and gusty winds expected over the next two to three hours.

A red warning, indicating severe weather conditions requiring immediate action, has been issued for Patiala district in Punjab.

Orange warning for multiple states

The IMD has also issued orange warnings for several districts where thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, winds of 40-60 kmph and moderate to heavy rainfall of 5-15 mm per hour or more are very likely.

In Punjab, the orange warning covers Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Sangrur and SAS Nagar.

In Uttar Pradesh, the alert has been issued for Amethi, Ayodhya, Barabanki, Fatehpur, Hardoi, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Raebareli and Unnao.

The warning also extends to Kasaragod in Kerala; Dakshin Kannada, Shivamogga and Udupi in Karnataka; Bhind, Datia, Gwalior, Morena, Sheopur Kalan and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh; Jiribam, Kamjong, Noney, Senapati and Tamenglong in Manipur; Uttar Dinajpur in West Bengal; Longleng, Mokokchung, Mon and Wokha in Nagaland; Golaghat, Jorhat, Majuli and Sivasagar in Assam; Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Kaithal and Kurukshetra in Haryana; and Bageshwar, Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

IMD advises residents to stay alert

The weather department has urged people living in the affected districts to remain vigilant and follow safety precautions as severe weather conditions may develop over the next few hours.

Separately, the IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in parts of Arunachal Pradesh on August 4 and 5, with Papum Pare likely to witness very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning on Tuesday. East Kameng is also expected to receive heavy rainfall, while several other districts remain under yellow and orange alerts.

In Uttar Pradesh, where the state has recorded below-normal monsoon rainfall so far this season, the IMD has predicted intense rainfall over the next four to five days, which could provide relief from humid conditions.

Meanwhile, heavy monsoon rains continued to affect Himachal Pradesh, where 109 roads remained blocked, six electricity distribution transformers were out of service and 30 water supply schemes were impacted, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.

The Ghaziabad district administration has ordered the closure of all schools, colleges, universities and technical institutions from August 4 to August 12 due to the heavy movement of Kanwar pilgrims during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra.

According to the official order issued on Monday, schools from Nursery to Class 12 across all education boards, including Basic Education Council, Secondary Education Council, CBSE, ICSE and Madrasa Board, will remain closed during the period. The decision has been taken to ensure the safety of students amid increased traffic and large gatherings associated with the annual pilgrimage.

The administration has clarified that while educational institutions will remain closed, examinations scheduled during this period will be conducted as per the existing timetable.

Shravan Shivratri to be observed on August 11

The District School Inspector, in an official circular, noted that the main festival of Shravan Shivratri will be celebrated in the district on August 11, 2026. With a large number of Kanwar pilgrims travelling through Ghaziabad since the beginning of the Shravan month on July 30, authorities have imposed the temporary closure as a precautionary measure.

The official order states that the closure applies to all government and private schools affiliated with various education boards across the district.

Colleges, universities also covered

The notification further states that all government and private colleges, universities and technical institutions in Ghaziabad will remain closed from August 4 to August 12. However, institutions conducting previously scheduled examinations have been permitted to hold them as per the announced examination schedule.

The administration has advised educational institutions to comply with the order and ensure the safety of students during the Kanwar Yatra period.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has sought an apology from Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook video, saying that a simple expression of regret would not be enough unless accountability is fixed.

The committee, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, met representatives of Meta, Google, YouTube, senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Union Home Ministry to discuss issues related to social media regulation, algorithmic transparency and platform accountability.

Panel demands accountability over PM Modi video removal

During the meeting, members questioned Meta over the removal of a Facebook video in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed young people and promised strict action against exam paper leaks.

According to sources, committee members asked who was responsible for taking down the video and why it was removed while other objectionable content remained on the platform. Meta reportedly expressed regret over the incident and offered an apology.

However, members of the panel maintained that the matter should not end with an apology alone. They said responsibility for the lapse must be established and legal action should be considered wherever required.

The committee also questioned what safeguards ordinary Indian users have if the Prime Minister’s content could be removed in such a manner.

Nishikant Dubey warns over safe harbour protection

Speaking after the meeting, Nishikant Dubey said Mark Zuckerberg should personally apologise for the incident.

He also warned that if such an apology is not forthcoming, Meta’s “safe harbour” protection could come under scrutiny. Safe harbour provisions protect online platforms from liability for third-party content, provided they comply with due diligence requirements under Indian law.

Dubey further claimed that the Prime Minister’s video remained unavailable for around five hours and described the matter as serious.

Panel raises concerns over algorithms and child safety

Apart from the video controversy, the committee also questioned Meta over alleged algorithmic bias and the way content is promoted on social media platforms.

Dubey said the committee unanimously discussed concerns regarding algorithm-driven reach and claimed that newer or unregistered groups were receiving greater visibility than recognised political parties. He said understanding how platforms determine content reach was important for the country.

The meeting also included discussions on child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and the responsibilities of social media companies in preventing such content from appearing on their platforms.

MeitY had earlier questioned Meta’s explanation

Last week, MeitY had summoned Meta’s global team over issues related to algorithmic bias, platform processes and their potential impact on public order.

Meta had attributed the temporary removal of the Prime Minister’s video to a technical glitch. However, according to sources, the ministry considered the explanation inadequate.

Separately, Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have registered cases against Meta India head Arun Srinivas and certain Facebook and Instagram accounts over allegedly morphed and AI-generated posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.