E-Paper
Rohtang Pass closed for traffic due to snowfall in Kullu
Efforts on to clear road beyond Solang to Atal Tunnel; Met department forecasts fresh western disturbance from Dec 11
Atal Tunnel that cuts across Rohtang Pass has been closed for traffic due to fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Kullu district.
Kullu superintendent of police (SP) Gaurav Singh said that the road beyond Solang to Atal Tunnel’s North Portal has been blocked due to the snowfall and efforts are on to clear it.
“Only 4x4 vehicles can travel through the tunnel,” he said, advising people to avoid travelling to this area until the snow is cleared.
Keylong gets 6cm snow, rain in Manali
The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh witnessed light snowfall and rainfall on Wednesday.
Keylong, the district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, received 6cm of snowfall, while Gondla village in the district got 4.4cm of snow. Light rain has been forecast in Manali, Dalhousie, Bhuntar and Chamba.
The state meteorological department has issued a yellow warning on December 12 for isolated places in the higher and middle hills, resulting in heavy snowfall and rainfall.
State meteorological department director Manmohan Singh said that snowfall and rainfall are likely to occur in the lower and middle hills on December 10. Snowfall and rainfall will occur throughout the state on December 11 and 12 and in the higher and middle hills on December 13.
“Another fresh western disturbance is likely to affect north-west India from December 11,” he said.
Mercury above normal as precipitation up
Light precipitation was witnessed in isolated places of the state since Tuesday evening. The minimum temperatures were three to four degrees above normal, while the maximum temperatures in the state were also one to two degrees above normal.
The minimum temperature in state capital, Shimla, was 10.4°C, while the nearby tourist resort of Kufri recorded a low of 7.3°C. Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie recorded lows of 6°C, 8.2°C and 5.4°C, respectively. The minimum temperature in Una was 9.7°C, while Solan recorded 6.6°C, Bilaspur 9°C, Hamirpur 9.3°C, Nahan 11.7°C, Mandi 7.1°C and Kalpa 2°C. Keylong was the coldest in the state at minus 1.4°C.
