Manali, Kufri receive season’s first snowfall

Keylong freezes at 3.5°Celsius; early snowfall, rain bring cheer for tourism industry, farmers

SHIMLA : Mercury plummeted in Himachal Pradesh after fresh snowfall in high reaches of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba, Shimla and Kullu districts on Thursday. The minimum temperature in Keylong, Manali, Kalpa and Kufri has dropped below freezing point after the fresh snowfall. Keylong recorded the coldest at -3.7° Celsius.

Manali in Kullu district received 4cm snow, season’s first snowfall, and recorded -1.3° Celsius temperature. Kufri near Shimla also received season’s first snowfall and recorded -0 .3° Celsius temperature. Kalpa in Kinnaur recorded -0.80° degree Celsius.

Narkanda, 63 kilometre from Shimla, experienced mild snowfall while snowfall in Kharaphathar on highway connecting Shimla to Rohru led to disruption of vehicular movement. Traffic on the old Hindustan Tibet road was also disrupted in the morning hours.

“Snowfall this year has been early. Last year, region experienced snowfall in the first week of January,” president of Himachal Hoteliers and Restaurateurs Association Gajender Thakur said.

The early winter rain and snow is considered beneficial for sowing Rabi crops. Kalpa would get flip to hospitality industry which suffered due to water crisis in summer season this year.

WEATHER LIKELY TO IMPROVE IN J&K

SRINAGAR:AFTER fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Jammu and

Kashmir in the last 24 hours, the Met office on Thursday forecast improvement in the weather conditions.

“Weather is likely to improve in Jammu and Kashmir from Friday. We are expecting dry weather till November 21,” a Met official said.

There has been fresh snowfall in Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Peer Ki Gali, Drass, Gurez and other mountainous areas of the state while light rains lashed the plains. Kargil continued to be the coldest in the state as the minimum temperature dropped to a -6.8° Celsius. Leh town recorded a -2.8° Celsius as the minimum temperature.

The night’s lowest temperatures were 3.3 ° C in Srinagar, -3.0 ° C in Pahalgam and -4.0 ° C in Gulmarg. In the Jammu division, Jammu city recorded 9.5° Celsius, Katra recorded at 8.8°C, Batote 3.8°C, Bannihal 1.8° C and Bhaderwah 3.4° C as the minimum temperatures.

Traffic has been suspended on the Srinagar-leh highway and the Mughal Road due to snowfall.

MHA ADVISES HP, J&K TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS

NEW DELHI: In the wake of the snowfall warnings issued by Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday advised the chief secretaries of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir to closely monitor the situation and take precautions.

Rhe MHA said, “The state governments are advised to keep a close watch, monitor the situation in those areas regularly and take precautionary measures. District authorities be advised accordingly. It is also requested that MHA may be kept informed about any developments in this regard.”