Snow, rain forecast for HP till Jan 20

SHIMLA/MANDI: Cold wave continued to grip Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday with higher reaches experiencing more snowfall for a second consecutive day.

There was widespread rain in low and mid hills, said an official.

Heavy snowfall and rain will continue in the state for at least a week, said director, state’s meteorological department Manmohan Singh. He said “Current weather conditions are very likely to continue throughout the state till January 20.”

Precipitation occurred at isolated places throughout the state during the last 24 hours.

Pooh in Kinnaur district and Kothi in Kullu district received 30cm snow each while 12cm snowfall occurred in Keylong in Lahaul-spiti district. Kalpa in Kinnaur district witnessed 22cm snow and recorded -1.2 degree minimum temperature. Khadrala in Shimla district received 15.2cm snowfall while Nagrota, a town in Kangra district, received 49.2mm rain. Kasauli in Solan district received 35.0 mm rainfall.

Shimla witnessed 1.3 degrees minimum temperature while Manali recorded-1.6 degrees minimum temperature. Minimum temperature in Kufri, 14 kilometres away from Shimla was -2.0 degree Celsius.

Dharamshala and Dalhousie recorded 2.2 degrees Celsius and -0.2 degree minimum temperatures, respectively. Minimum temperatures in Solan was 7 degrees Celsius; 7.3 degrees Celsius in Mandi; 8.3 degrees Celsius in Nahan in district Sirmaur and 8.6 degrees Celsius in Hamirpur.

NH-3 NEAR AUT REOPENS AFTER LANDSLIDES

The movement of vehicular traffic on National Highway-3 near Aut in Mandi district was restored on Tuesday morning after it was suspended on Monday due to continuous landslides.

As many as 609 roads, including five national highways, are still closed.

GLACIERS BLOCK CHANDRABHAGA FOR FIVE HOURS

As heavy snowfall continued to throw life out of gear in the state, a glacier blocked the flow of Chandrabhaga river, a tributary of Chenab, on Monday for at least five hours in tribal district Lahaul and Spiti. The river was blocked at various points in Dimru nallah near Thirot.

TWO KILLED IN CHAMBA LANDSLIDE

Two people were killed and two injured in a landslide at Gagla about 10 kilometres from Chamba town, on Tuesday. Deceased were identified as Tilak Raj of village Panela Bhariyan and Radha, wife of Kaku Ram, resident of Tanui village in Chamba district. Injured Kajal, wife of Tilak Raj, was admitted to a Chamba hospital. Chamba SP Monika Bhutungru said the trio was going on foot when the landslide struck them.

SNOWFALL CONTINUES IN HIGHER REACHES FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY, PLAINS RECEIVE WIDESPREAD RAIN