Himachal: Met issues 'Orange' warning for heavy snow, rain

The Meteorological Department has issued an 'orange' warning for heavy snow at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district on Monday, prompting local authorities to advise caution and restrict unnecessary travel.

The Met office has also issued an alert for heavy rain and snow, along with thunderstorms and lightning, in Chamba and Kangra districts, while Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Solan districts may experience hail. The Mandi administration has urged the public to avoid travel to higher reaches.

Despite the warning, the weather remained mainly dry in the past 24 hours, with shallow fog in Bilaspur and Mandi. Tourist influx to Shimla and other destinations increased over the weekend following recent snowfall.

Minimum temperatures saw no major change, with Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti recording the lowest at minus 10.2 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, road restoration work continues across the state after landslides and flash floods disrupted movement.