Shimla, January 15
Intense cold conditions continued unabated in most parts of the state as the mercury stayed below normal and close to the freezing point at many places. Traffic was disrupted as dense fog with visibility less than 50 metres engulfed Sundernagar, Bilaspur, Mandi and other towns along riverbanks in the morning.
There was no appreciable change in the minimum temperatures. Keylong was the coldest at minus 15.2°C, followed by Kapla minus 4.2°C while the famous tourist destinations of Kufri, Manali, Dalhousie, Shimla and Dharamsala recorded low temperatures of minus 2°C, minus 0.2°C, 3.1°C, 3.8°C and 4.1°C.
Tribal areas and other higher reaches are cut off from the rest of the state as 172 roads (129 in Lahaul and Spiti, 15 in Kullu, 14 in Mandi, nine in Shimla and five in Chamba) are still closed due to snowfall and 42 transformers and 52 water supply schemes are shut.
However, the maximum temperatures rose by a few notches as the sun shone over the region. Sundernagar recorded a high of 21°C, Mandi 20.2°C and Solan 18.2°C.
The Met office has issued a warning of moderate to dense fog at isolated pockets in the districts of Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Kangra and Mandi during morning and evening hours tomorrow.
It has also predicted rain and snowfall in the region from January 17 as a fresh western disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region from tomorrow while another western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from January 18.
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