Snow in Keylong, Kalpa, cold wave intensifies

Tribune News Service

Advertisement

Shimla, March 22

A severe thunderstorm and hailstorm accompanied by intermittent heavy showers lashed several areas of Himachal, disrupting normal life while higher reaches and tribal areas had another spell of fresh snowfall, reviving cold conditions in mid and higher hills. Thick fog engulfed the region, reducing visibility to a few metres, affecting traffic and forcing vehicles to switch the headlights on and move at a snail’s pace.

The local MeT office has issued yellow warning of thunderstorm, lightning and hailstorm at isolated places in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi and Solan districts and orange warning of heavy rain/snow, thunderstorm, lightning and hailstorm in Shimla, Solan and Kullu districts for tomorrow. The MeT office also predicted rain or snow in mid and higher hills on March 23 and 24.

Fog engulfs region, Visibility reduces

• Thick fog engulfed the region, reducing visibility to a few metres, affecting traffic
• Udaipur and Gondla received 26 cm and 15 cm of snow, followed by Keylong 9 cm and Hansa and Kalpa 5 cm each.
• Manali was the wettest with 50 mm of rainfall while Tissa, Shimla and Gohar recorded 27 mm each

Storm flattened the standing wheat crop in some places in mid and lower hills and damaged stone fruit crop. However, the rain is beneficial for apple crop as it will provide much-needed moisture to the soil for good crop.

The high-altitude tribal areas and other higher reaches received a fresh snowfall. Udaipur and Gondla received 26 cm and 15 cm of snow, followed by Keylong 9 cm and Hansa and Kalpa 5 cm each.

Manali was the wettest in the region with 50 mm rain while Tissa, Shimla and Gohar recorded 27 mm, 25 mm and 23 mm rain followed by Dalhousie, Rampur, Seobagh and Shilaroo 19 mm, Bharmaur and Kotkhai 15 mm, Bhuntar 14 mm, Bajura 13 mm, Kumarsein 12.5 mm, Baghi 12 mm, Kasauli and Pandoh 11 mm, Mandi, Wangtoo and Theog 10 mm and Karsog, Rampur and Narkanda 9 cm each each.

The maximum temperatures dropped by a few notches and Manali and Bhuntar recorded a high of 7°C and 11.9°C while Sundernagar, Kalpa, Keylong, and Solan recorded the maximum temperatures of 11.9°C, 5.4 °C, 1.8 °Cand 19.5 °C. The minimum temperatures dropped marginally and Keylong and Kalpa recorded a low of minus 0.2°C and 2 °C while Kufri, Dalhousie and Manali recorded the minimum temperatures at 4.7°C, 5.2°C and 5.6°C, Shimla 8°C, Dharamsala 10.4 °C and Solan and Palampur 11.5°C.