There was heavy hailstorm in Shimla on Wednesday night followed by intermittent rain. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, more than 240 roads including six national highways have been closed for traffic in the state and 677 transformers have been affected due to heavy snowfall and rain. The Center said that 165 roads are blocked in Kinnaur and tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti. Due to heavy snowfall in Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda, vehicular movement has come to a standstill in the upper region of Shimla beyond Dhali due to blockage of roads.
Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI on Thursday that vehicular movement has been stopped in Dhali due to snowfall and slippery conditions on the road. He said that traffic will be restored on the roads soon. Intermittent snowfall is continuing in five out of 12 districts of the state since Tuesday night and the local weather office has warned of heavy snowfall and rain at isolated places in five districts of Shimla, Kullu, Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti on February 1. 'Orange Alert' has been issued for this. At the same time, 'Yellow Alert' has been issued for storm and lightning on February 3 and 4.
The forecast of heavy snowfall has come as a relief to farmers and fruit and vegetable growers who had suffered huge crop losses due to prolonged drought. A spokesperson of the Agriculture Department said that the rainy season is likely to be beneficial for Rabi crops. Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association President M.K. Seth said, 'Heavy snowfall has made tourism and its related industries happy and we are expecting good tourism in February. The number of tourists is likely to increase due to snowfall in Shimla during the weekend.
Snowfall is also occurring in the famous tourist places of the state, Narkanda, Kufri, Shimla, Manali, Rohtang, Sangla, Dalhousie and Khajjiar. Chirgaon in Shimla district received 75 cm of snow, while Shikari Mata received 60 cm, Kothi 50, Chanshel and Kamru Nag 45, Manali 37, Keylong 32, Bada Bengal and Parashar Lake 30, Tindi, Pangi, Jot and Nauradhar. There was 25-25 cm snow in Kukumseri, 18.4 cm in Koksar, 16 in Khadrala, 15 in Shillaru and 12.2 cm in Sangla.
Cold wave conditions persisted in the lower hilly areas of the state and dense fog was seen at some places in the morning. Kukumassery recorded the coldest night with a minimum temperature of minus 3.1 degrees Celsius. The temperature was minus 2.4 degrees in Kalpa, minus 2.1 degrees in Narkanda and Samdho, minus 0.1 degrees in Manali, 0.9 degrees in Dalhousie, 0.2 degrees in Kufri and 1.8 degrees Celsius in Shimla.
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