Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before. A June 2013 cloudburst killed over 6,000 people in Uttarakhand and surrounding states, becoming the country's worst natural disaster in ten years. In 2021, flash flooding triggered by a cloudburst killed over 200.

Flash floods have swept away homes and shops in northern India, killing at least four people and trapping many others under debris.

India Today's team is reporting directly from Dharali, the disaster zone, providing updates from areas impacted by floods. Rescue and relief operations continue following the events of August 5th.