Severe hailstorm halts life in Shimla

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 8

Shimla and its surrounding areas and some other parts of the state witnessed a severe thunderstorm and hailstorm, accompanied by heavy rain, bringing normal life to a halt. A thick carpet of hail covered Shimla and gushing waters flooded the roads.

The storm disrupted the power supply and traffic was badly hit as vehicles skidded on the hail-covered roads. However, tourists rushed out of their hotels in ecstasy to enjoy the weather, mistaking hail for snow. Shivering tourists took pictures of hail-covered town and made these viral on the social media as “snow”.

The thunderstorm uprooted trees, blew off roofs of kucha houses and damaged power transmission lines, affecting the power supply in some parts of the capital. Crops of tomato, capsicum, cauliflower and stone fruit were damaged. People in some colonies, facing acute water shortage, collected rainwater.

The high-altitude tribal areas and other higher reaches had a fresh snowfall and Rohtang, Koksar, Marhi and Keylong received 12 cm, 10 cm, 8 cm and 5 cm of snow. The sky remained heavily overcast and Shimla and Kandaghat experienced downpour and recorded 62 mm rain.

The famous tourist resorts of Fagu and Kufri around Shimla recorded 44 mm and 26 mm rain while Bharmaur, Kalpa, Reckong Peo and Kangra had 36 mm, 32 mm, 31 mm and 30 mm rain, followed by Dalhousie and Kukumseri 24 mm, Siunta and Jhanjehli 22 mm, Dharamsala and Nahan 20 mm, Manali 18 mm, Solan 16 mm, Seobagh 15 mm, Bhuntar and Sarahan 14 mm, Narkanda and Kumarsein 12 mm, Pooh 10 mm.

The local Met office has issued a fresh warning of rain and thundershowers in Shimla, Solan, Mandi and Kullu and rain and hailstorm in Sirmaur district, keeping farmers and fruit growers on tenterhooks. It also warned of rains and thundershowers from May 12 to 14 while dry weather would prevail on May 10 and 11. Keylong recorded a low of minus 0.3 degree while Kalpa and Manali shivered 2.4 degree and 5.4 degree, followed by Shimla 9.8 degree.

Kangra valley drenched

• The Kangra valley was drenched and the Dhauladhars experienced snow on Tuesday
• The valley experienced heavy showers late Monday evening, disrupting normal life as roads in the town were deserted due to chill and rain
• Reports of heavy rain were also received from Shahpur, Gaggal, Rait, Nagrota Bagwan, Dharamsala, Mallan, Chanumda, Jawalamukhi, Dehra, Ranital and other places of the district — OC

Snow to delay Manali-Leh road opening

• The fresh snowfall has hit the snow-clearance operation on the Manali-Leh highway where the inclement weather is becoming a hindrance for the BRO. 
• The authorities has targeted to open the highway by mid-May, but snow will delay it.
• The Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul, has been closed to vehicles since Monday. 
• Lahaul-Spiti district donned the white mantle on Tuesday morning and temperature had plummeted drastically. 
• The people were forced to wear woollens. The HRTC bus service to the Pangi region in Chamba district from Lahaul Spiti was also affected.
• According to Mangal Chand Manepa, Regional Manager of the HRTC depot at Keylong, the snowfall has hampered the bus service between Kullu, Lahaul and Pangi region.
• Farmers are happy with the fresh spell of snow and rainfall after long dry spell and they were waiting for it.   
• But on Monday, few parts of district Kullu has received heavy hail storm in apple orchard at Anni, Banjar and Kullu region, which distressed the orchardists badly.
• In tribal district Lahaul Spiti, apple orchards are in full bloom these days. Orchardists are worried over the plummeting temperature because snow could affect the pollination process in the apple orchard.