Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
North India was engulfed in a white blanket after a bout of snowfall in the higher reaches of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
The MeT department has predicted further snowfall, rain and hailstorm in several parts of the valley and upper reaches of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in the next few days.
Queen of Hills Attracts Tourists
Tourists were in for a pleasant surprise with the heavy bout of snowfall in Himachal’s capital Shimla. Besides Shimla, Manali, Kufri and Narkanda too witnessed heavy snowfall since Tuesday morning, 22 january. But due to the heavy snow, roads beyond Kufri were closed for vehicular traffic.
The snow has brought smiles to the faces of those engaged with the tourism industry – apple orchardists, hoteliers and tourists.
Fresh snowfall disrupted Chief Minster Jai Ram Thakur’s election campaign and his flight from Shimla to Kangra was grounded due to bad weather.
Kedarnath Temple Covered in Snow
The higher reaches of Uttarakhand hills received fresh snowfall on Saturday while overcast conditions prevailed at most places in the plains.
Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag and Badrinath shrine in Chamoli district, along with the skiing slopes of Auli and Joshimath, received fresh spells of snow.
The MeT department has predicted that snowfall is expected to continue in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts over the next couple of days.
Heavy Snow, Rains Lash J&K
Incessant rains and light to moderate fresh snowfall in the valley led to a further dip in the the temperature. The state is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day harshest period of winter when snowfall is maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
Srinagar recorded minus 0.2 degrees celsius while Pahalgam and Gulmarg recorded minus 0.2 and minus 4 degrees, respectively. Kargil was coldest at minus 12.2, Drass recorded minus 6.8, while Leh was warmer at 2.8 degrees celsius.
A heavy avalanche hit the Jawahar Tunnel on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, affecting civic movement. However, no fatalities or injuries were reported.
(With inputs from ANI/PTI)
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