The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall on Monday morning. Meanwhile, police in Manali continued efforts to clear and move vehicles that were stranded near the Atal Tunnel towards the tourist town.
Over 1,000 vehicles got stuck near the south portal of the Atal Tunnel close to Rohtang Pass in Kullu district on Sunday night. Snowfall made the roads slippery, forcing authorities to stop vehicles from moving beyond Solang Nallah, officials said.
The Dhauladhar Range in Kangra district was covered with a thin layer of snow on Monday morning. In the past 24 hours, the higher areas of Shimla district received 10.2 cm of snow. This was followed by Kalpa with 6.4 cm, Kinnaur district with 6 cm and Lahaul-Spiti district with 2 cm, according to weather official Shobhit Katariya from the local Met office in Shimla.
Salooni in Chamba district recorded the highest rainfall in the state with 32 mm in the last 24 hours. It was followed by Sarahan (29.5 mm), Bhaba Nagar (29 mm), Rampur (28 mm), Kataula (23.4 mm), Bhattiyat (23.1 mm), Manali (22 mm), Bharmour (20.5 mm), Pandoh (20.4 mm), Gohar (20 mm), Bhuntar (19.2 mm), Jot (17.4 mm), Mandi (14.6 mm), Berthin (14.2 mm), Shimla (12.2 mm), Pachhad (12 mm) and Shilaroo (10 mm), the official added.
Moderate fog was reported in Sundernagar. Shimla experienced a hailstorm, while thunderstorms and lightning were reported in Kufri and Jubberhatti near Shimla. Similar weather conditions were also recorded in Kangra, Sundernagar, Jot and Murari Devi in Mandi district.
The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow warning for isolated hailstorms on Wednesday and Thursday. It has also warned of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds with speeds of 40–60 kmph at several places till Friday.
After snowfall and rain in the higher areas, the minimum temperature dropped by 5–7 degrees at many places. Tabo in Lahaul-Spiti district recorded the coldest night temperature at minus 2.5 degrees Celsius.
From March 1 to March 16, Himachal Pradesh received 15.9 mm of rainfall, much lower than the normal average of 60.7 mm for this period. This reflects a rainfall deficit of about 74 per cent. According to officials in the agriculture department, rainfall during March is considered beneficial for the Rabi crop in the state.
Also read: Heavy snowfall forces road closures upper reaches of Valley
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