With a fresh Western Disturbance weather phenomenon hitting North India starting Monday, the Himalayan regions of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir received snowfall, blocking roads and disrupting air and rail traffic.
In J&K, the snowfall led to the closure of key Jammu-Srinagar highway and cancellation of all flights at the Srinagar airport causing massive inconvenience to passengers on Tuesday.
Rains also lashed the hill town of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, where 711 roads, including three national highways, were blocked in view of the inclement weather, state minister Jagat Singh Negi was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Here is how the Western Disturbance is panning out in north India:
Jammu and Kashmir
The snowfall began on Monday night and continued intermittently on Tuesday as well across several parts of J&K. The snowfall led to the closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway and the cancellation of all flights at Srinagar airport, according to PTI.
The key National Highway 44 was shut due to snow accumulation near the Navyug tunnel at Qazigund and Banihal, per the report.
{{/usCountry}}The key National Highway 44 was shut due to snow accumulation near the Navyug tunnel at Qazigund and Banihal, per the report.
{{/usCountry}}Snow-clearing operations were also underway as authorities were working to restore connectivity after snow disrupted regular traffic movement on the highway.
“No vehicular movement shall be allowed from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice versa. Commuters are advised not to travel on NH-44 until the road is completely restored and declared safe for traffic,” the J&K Traffic Police said in its advisory.
All 58 flights, including 29 arrivals and 29 departures, were cancelled at the Srinagar International Airport on Tuesday on account of snow as the authorities said continuous snowfall rendered the runway unsafe for operations. Plains of the Valley, including summer capital Srinagar, received light to moderate snow, while the higher reaches received heavy falls.
District administrations and police have set up control rooms and helpline numbers to assist the public as snow brought the normal life to standstill in many parts of the Valley as the the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Disaster Management Authority (JKUTDMA) has issued avalanche warnings for eleven districts-- Ganderbal, Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramula, Kulgam, and Kupwara, Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, and Ramban. These warnings remain effective till Tuesday evening.
Himachal Pradesh
Over 700 roads, including three national highways, are blocked in Himachal Pradesh amid rainfall and snowfall. Shimla was lashed with rains that threw normal life out of gear as roads were blocked and power and water supply were disrupted. As more rain and snow is predicted, the local administration has been put on alert, ANI reported.
Minister Negi said the recent snowfall, which came after a long dry spell, was much needed, particularly for farmers and horticulturists.
"The snowfall and rainfall have occurred after a long gap. There was a drought-like situation earlier, and this dry spell has now ended. Snowfall has taken place in Shimla and Dharamshala, while the lower areas received rain. This was necessary for farmers and orchardists," Negi was quoted .
However, he acknowledged that the weather had also created challenges. According to the minister, 711 roads, including three national highways, are currently blocked across the state. Additionally, 861 power distribution transformers (DTRs) and around 163 water supply schemes have been affected.
"Snowfall does create problems. Roads, electricity and water supply have been disrupted, but machinery and manpower have been deployed on the ground. Restoration work is underway on a war footing," he added.
Uttarakhand
Fresh spell of snowfall was also reported from upper reaches of Uttarakhand on Tuesday. Intermittent snowfall has been continuing since Monday night in Badrinath in Chamoli district and in Kedarnath and surrounding peaks in Rudraprayag district, PTI reported.
Snowfall has also been reported from the high peaks of Bandarpunch and other mountains in the Uttarkashi district.
Cloudy conditions prevailed in Gangotri and Yamunotri and surrounding areas in Uttarkashi district, while the weather remained dry in Dehradun and other plains areas.
This is the second snowfall in Uttarakhand within a week. Earlier, after a long wait, heavy snowfall occurred in the high-altitude areas of the state on January 23, covering these regions with a thick blanket of snow.