News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 25th December 2024
Himachal Pradesh stopped 226 roads, including three national highways, on Wednesday due to snowfall in numerous districts, according to news agency PTI, quoting officials. Higher-altitude areas, such as Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, Chamba, and Dalhousie, are suffering sub-zero temperatures, while the plains of Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Solan, and Kangra are experiencing extreme cold, interrupting everyday life and travel.
The Met Office also projected rain and snow in isolated locations, notably Shimla, from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, with the most precipitation likely on Saturday.
An extreme cold wave persisted in Mandi, Manali, Chamba, Una, Hamirpur, and Sundernagar, with Sundernagar and Mandi experiencing dense and moderate fog, respectively. On Wednesday, the weather office issued a ‘orange’ warning for extreme cold in Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur, and Mandi, as well as a ‘yellow’ warning for dense fog in sections of the Bhakra Dam reservoir area and Mandi’s Balh Valley on Thursday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, stray cows in Badrinath were relocated to the lower valleys of Chamoli district on Tuesday owing to severe snowfall. Since Monday, cold winds have swept over the state, bringing fresh snow to high-altitude places such as Chamoli and Uttarkashi, as well as light showers in lower regions.
Snowfall was also reported in the Valley of Flowers National Park, Nanda Devi National Park, Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary, and the villages above Mana and Malari in Niti valley. People in Himachal Pradesh were hit by a brutal cold wave as minimum temperatures fell throughout the province. Jot had 10 cm of snow during the last 24 hours, followed by Khadrala (5 cm), Pooh (2 cm), Sangla (1.2 cm), and Keylong (1 cm).
Tabo in the Lahaul and Spiti region recorded the state’s lowest night temperature of – 10.6 degrees Celsius. According to the state emergency operation center, 123 routes were stopped in Shimla, 36 in Lahaul and Spiti, and 25 in Kullu. Additionally, 173 transformers were affected.
Locals and visitors expecting a snowy Christmas in Shimla were disappointed when the city was welcomed with dazzling sunshine on Wednesday morning. Rainfall was recorded in a variety of locales, including Bhuntar (9.7 mm), Rampur (9.4 mm), Shimla (8.4 mm), Bajaura (8 mm), Seobagh (7.2 mm), Manali (7 mm), Gohar (6 mm), Mandi (5.4 mm), and Jubbarhatti (3.8 mm), according to the Met Office.
Minimum temperatures have plummeted in most parts of Kashmir as the region continues to experience extreme cold, forcing many water bodies and supply lines to freeze. According to the meteorological service on Wednesday, Srinagar recorded a low of – 7.3°C on Tuesday night, down from minus 6.6°C the night before.
Temperatures declined at all other meteorological stations in the Kashmir valley except Gulmarg. The region is currently experiencing the hardest 40-day winter spell, known as ‘Chillai-Kalan,’ which began on December 21. During this season, both maximum and lowest temperatures are usually lower than average, according to PTI authorities.
Chillai-Kalan, famed for its frequent and heavy snowfall, finishes on January 30, but the cold wave continues beyond that date. This is followed by ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (little cold) for 20 days and ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) for ten.
