Fresh snowfall blanketed the high-altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, delighting tourists. However, the influx of visitors led to traffic jams in both regions and police continued to clear stranded vehicles.
In Manali, as snowfall continued for the second consecutive day, police removed over 1,000 vehicles stuck near the Atal Tunnel since Sunday evening, news agency PTI reported. Meanwhile, in Kashmir, police conducted a rescue operation at Sinthan Top where around 214 tourists were trapped.
Several high-altitude areas in Kashmir reported heavy snowfall. These included: Pir Ki Gali along Mughal Road in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, Zojilla axis, Gurez in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, Sadhna Top in north Kashmir’s Kupwara and Sinthan Top connecting Anantnag in south Kashmir with Kishtwar in Jammu region.
According to officials, Sadhna Top received over 12 inches of fresh snow, while Sinthan Top recorded around 6 inches.
How did it affect traffic?
The snowfall disrupted traffic across the valley and forced the closure of several key roads. These include the Gurez-Bandipora road, the Sinthan-Kishtwar road and the Mughal road, which functions as an alternative route connecting the Kashmir valley with the Jammu region.
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Vehicular movement was also suspended on the Srinagar-Leh highway due to heavy snow accumulation at Zojila Pass. Meanwhile, the valley plains, including Srinagar, experienced intermittent rains till Monday morning.
Which other areas in Uttarakhand have been affected?
In Uttarakhand, heavy snowfall covered the temple grounds at Shri Badrinath Dham, including Neelkanth Parvat in Chamoli district.
What does the weather forecast say?
According to the India Meteorological Department, heavy rainfall and snowfall will continue in areas including Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh on March 19 and Uttarakhand on March 20.
Read also | Today’s Weather: IMD predicts more snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
A hail warning has also been issued for: Himachal Pradesh (March 16, 18, 19), Uttarakhand (March 16, 19, 20), Punjab (March 16), Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad (March 18)
What about the Northern Plains and Delhi?
Light rainfall was recorded in northern states such as Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, bringing temperatures down by a few degrees. In the capital city of Delhi, air quality has improved to “satisfactory” category after Sunday’s rain.
Meanwhile, some parts of Rajasthan witnessed light rain and thundershowers till Monday morning, resulting in temperatures dropping by 2-4 degrees Celsius. Chittorgarh recorded the highest maximum at 38.6°C while Fatehpur saw the lowest minimum at 11.7°C.
Read also | Delhi wakes up to a thick fog; rainfall, snowfall may occur in Himachal, J&K
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Jaipur has predicted that a fresh western disturbance will bring isolated thundershowers and rainfall across the state.
Weather conditions are expected to remain mostly dry on March 16 and 17, the IMD said.
(With input from agencies)
