Uttarakhand shivers amid snowfall, persistent rain; IMD issues alert for thunderstorms, hail today
The cold intensified across Uttarakhand on Thursday amid snowfall at high-altitude places, including Kedarnath and Gangotri, and persistent rain in Yamunotri, Haridwar and Dehradun, among other...
The cold intensified across Uttarakhand on Thursday amid snowfall at high-altitude places, including Kedarnath and Gangotri, and persistent rain in Yamunotri, Haridwar and Dehradun, among other districts, with Dehradun logging a minimum temperature of 16.7 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert for Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Chamoli districts for October 30, forecasting thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds accompanied by heavy rainfall.
Early Thursday, temperatures dropped to sub-zero at Kedarnath as 0.4 cm snowfall was recorded.
A thin sheet of ice covered roads, hindering traffic movement, with Rudraprayag district police and administrative teams working actively to ensure safety of commuters and pilgrims.
The IMD on Thursday morning predicted light to moderate rain or snowfall at many places in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar and Tehri districts, and at few places in Pauri, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Almora, Nainital and Champawat districts. The IMD also predicted very light to light rain at isolated places in Udham Singh Nagar district.
Rudraprayag Police has urged pilgrims visiting Kedarnath Dham to be mindful of weather conditions, take necessary precautions against the cold, and pay special attention to their health and well-being.
An advisory for protection against the cold was also issued by the Rudraprayag administration urging pilgrims to wear warm jackets, woollens, caps, gloves, and socks.
The advisory also urged those travelling to the shrine to consume warm beverages, avoid prolonged exposure to cold, take special care of children and the elderly and adhere to the guidelines issued by the district administration and police based on weather conditions.
Gangotri saw the season’s first heavy snowfall on Thursday morning, with a thick blanket of snow covering the area.
The lower regions in Uttarkashi district experienced persistent rain, leading to a sharp drop in temperature.
The Yamuna basin, including the Yamunotri shrine, too, experienced biting cold due to rainfall.
Sunil Uniyal, secretary of the Yamunotri temple committee, said continuous rain since Thursday morning has led to a significant drop in temperature. A similar decline in temperature has also been recorded in low-lying areas due to the rain.
According to IMD data, Rudraprayag recorded 6.4 mm rainfall, while Haridwar and Uttarkashi received 3.4 mm and 2 mm rainfall, respectively.
Haridwar district witnessed some rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms on Thursday morning. The rain caused some inconvenience, with waterlogging in various areas disrupting traffic. Movement was hampered in Kankhal, Jwalapur, SIDCUL and Bahadarabad areas due to waterlogging and muddy roads.
The IMD has forecast thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds gusting to 40-50 kmph in some areas of Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar and Chamoli districts for October 30, issuing an ‘orange’ alert.
Additionally, heavy rainfall is likely to take place in parts of Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Nainital, and Champawat districts.
In light of the warning, Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, held a meeting with officials from concerned districts to review preparedness.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the minister for disaster management and rehabilitation, Madan Kaushik, have consulted the secretary and directed that all protective measures be taken to ensure safety of the general public.
“Given the seriousness of the meteorological department’s warning, all districts have been instructed to keep their disaster management systems fully operational,” Suman said.
He appealed to the public to take the weather department’s warnings seriously, avoid unnecessary travel during inclement weather, and exercise extreme caution near rivers, streams, water channels, and landslide-prone areas.
Any emergency or disaster-related incident should be reported immediately to the State Emergency Operation Centre via the toll-free helpline.
He emphasised the need for heightened vigilance regarding safety of pilgrims along Char Dham Yatra routes, directing pilgrims be moved to safe locations in the event of adverse weather or any potential danger.
He further noted that districts have been advised to exercise extra caution in vulnerable areas and all relevant departments must work in tandem to handle any emergency situation that may emerge.
He also directed that officials designated under the disaster management system in districts, as well as departmental nodal officers, remain on alert and ensure immediate action upon receiving information about any incident.
“Given the possibility of landslides, road blockages, and other emergency situations due to adverse weather in hilly regions, the Public Works Department (PWD), the national highways authority, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and other relevant executing agencies must keep their machinery and necessary resources ready.
“In the event of a road blockage, the concerned departments should take immediate action to restore connectivity, ensuring that the general public does not face unnecessary hardship,” Suman said.
He further directed relief and rescue teams be kept on standby to provide immediate assistance to those affected in any emergency.
As per IMD’s colour-coded weather warning system, an “orange alert” indicates severe weather is imminent, with significant disruptions likely to transport and power infrastructure, among others.
-PTI
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