A fresh spell of snowfall on Monday threw life out of gear in Jammu and Kashmir on the final day of the ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, the harshest winter period in the region. The higher reaches and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh and the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand also received snowfall on Monday.
The higher reaches of Kashmir Valley recorded two to three feet of snow, affecting rail, road and air traffic. An avalanche warning was also issued in five districts of the Union Territory.
Officials said flight operations at the Srinagar airport were suspended due to poor visibility and accumulation of snow on the runway. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed to traffic due landslides at many places along the arterial road and train services on the Baramulla-Banihal route were also suspended.
Avalanches of medium danger level are likely to occur above 2500 metres over Bandipora, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kupwara and Ramban in the next 24 hours, officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority (JKDMA) said and advised people to restrict movement and evacuate unprotected settlements.
In Himachal Pradesh, moderate to heavy snow was recorded in parts of Shimla, Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Kullu and Chamba districts, choking traffic and disrupting water and power supply in many areas.
The snow led to the closure of 496 roads, including three national highways, for vehicular traffic while 908 transformers were affected in the state.
Rohtang pass, Chitkul and the Atal Tunnel’s south portal received 75 cm of snow, followed by Khadrala in Shimla district at 60 cm, Solang at 55 cm, Kufri at 16 cm, Keylong and Samdo at 14 cm each and Manali at 3 cm.
Meanwhile, widespread rains lashed the mid and lower hills with Dalhousie the wettest, recording 60 mm. It was followed by Rampur at 24 mm, Shimla at 21 mm, Chamba at 19 mm, Seobagh at 16 mm, Dharamshala and Dhaula Kuan at 15 mm and Manali at 14 mm.
In Shimla, Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnur districts, 180, 158 and 73 roads were blocked respectively.
There have also been reports of the power supply being disrupted in some places. As many as 37 roads were blocked in Kullu, 27 in Chamba, 11 in Sirmaur, eight in Mandi and two in Kangra.
The Garhwal region of Uttarakhand also witnessed fresh snowfall and rain on Monday, an official from the meteorological department said. The Kumaon region remained largely dry, MeT Director Bikram Singh said.
Garhwal’s Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri were all covered in a thick layer of snow, while its lower areas, including the subsidence-hit Joshimath, were lashed with rains.
Delhiites woke up to a chilly morning on Tuesday, as the mercury settled at 9.9 degrees Celsius, even as the air quality index improved to ‘moderate’.
The weatherman has forecast moderate fog for the day and the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 22 degrees Celsius.
The city had recorded 20 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Monday. On Tuesday, the minimum temperature slipped to 9.9 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, according to data shared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Meanwhile, several areas in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai received light to moderate rain on Monday morning and the spell is expected to continue today as well.
Weather Warning for the next three days
The meteorological department predicted heavy snowfall, and rains with thunderstorms in the plains of Jammu, over the next 12 hours.
The Met Office also predicted thunderstorms and lightning and wet weather in the lower hills of Himachal Pradesh till Friday.
The IMD has also issued a yellow alert for three days in Chennai, which is likely to receive thundershowers from Tuesday.
Heavy rainfall is very likely at isolated places over south Tamil Nadu till February 2, the IMD said in its forecast.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are very likely at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep for the next three days, it added.
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