Dehradun, Jul 24 (IANS): After a brief lull last week, the monsoon on Monday returned to the hill state of Uttarakhand, the Met office has said.

Rains began in some parts of the state since Monday morning and overcast sky has been reported from elsewhere. Heavy rains are likely to continue till Thursday.

Dharchula and Munsyari in Pithoragarh district received heavy rains and debris from a hill near Gothi on the Tawaghat highway in Tanakpur blocked traffic for some time.

Rains in the region like Kali are also in spate and threatening to flood the nearby areas. Heavy rains disrupted normal life in Signal, Garkha, Ogla, Tallabagad and Jolljeevi regions.

Debris from landslides triggered by heavy rains continued to disrupt the annual 'Chaar Dhaam' pilgrimage at some places.

Many link roads in Bagheshwar, Chamoli, Dehradun, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Pauri, Almorah and Nainital remain damaged, causing severe inconvenience to commuters.