Heavy snowfall paralyses life in Himachal, Uttarakhand; cold wave tightens grip across North India
PTC Web Desk: Heavy snowfall and rain in the hill states have severely disrupted normal life, with Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand bearing the brunt of extreme winter conditions. In Himachal Pradesh, intense snowfall on Wednesday pushed minimum temperatures in higher reaches to between -6°C and -1°C. The coldest spot was Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti district, where the mercury plunged to -6.1°C.
The snowfall has crippled infrastructure across the state. As many as 885 roads, including four national highways, remain closed, while over 3,000 power transformers are non-functional. Water supply has also been badly hit due to frozen pipelines, leaving thousands of households without drinking water.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand witnessed a brief respite on Thursday as sunshine returned after two days of continuous snowfall. However, major pilgrimage routes remain buried under thick layers of snow. Roads in Badrinath, Kedarnath and Gangotri are still covered with 3 to 4 feet of snow. Auli in Chamoli district received nearly 2 feet of snowfall on Wednesday. Authorities have issued an avalanche warning across vulnerable areas of the state.
The impact of snowfall in the mountains is being felt strongly in the plains as well. Several states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, have reported a sharp drop in temperatures, accompanied by fog and rainfall. Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh received rain on Thursday morning, while cities such as Ayodhya and Lucknow were among nine districts that witnessed rainfall on Wednesday.
In Bihar, light to moderate rain is likely in five districts tonight, followed by a further dip in temperatures, intensifying the cold wave. Bhagalpur recorded the lowest temperature in the state on Wednesday at 7.4°C. Weather agencies have also issued thunderstorm and rainfall alerts for Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh starting January 31.
In Uttar Pradesh, rain affected daily life in several districts. Schools up to Class 8 were closed in Sambhal, while classes up to Class 12 were suspended in Siddharthnagar as a precautionary measure. The Meteorological Department has issued hailstorm and rainfall alerts in 29 districts of the state.
Punjab and Haryana are also experiencing biting cold. Amritsar emerged as the coldest place in Punjab with a minimum temperature of 3.7°C, while Bhiwani in Haryana recorded 5.5°C. Dense fog reduced visibility in Chandigarh during the morning hours, adding to travel disruptions.
Authorities across states have urged people to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary travel in snowbound areas, and follow weather advisories closely as harsh winter conditions continue to prevail.
- With inputs from agencies
