North India shivers: Snow blocks key highways in J-K, Himachal; Delhi AQI improves
Srinagar-Jammu highway remains partially shut while Himachal Pradesh reports over 680 roads blocked and major power outages after heavy snowfall
Minimum temperatures have dropped sharply across north India after the higher altitudes received widespread snowfall while rains lashed the plains.
Several key roads in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh remained closed for the second consecutive day on Saturday (January 24), affecting traffic and the movement of goods.
On Sunday, the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was partially restored after remaining closed for more than two days due to heavy snowfall.
Hundreds of commuters were evacuated to safety and provided food and shelter by the Army, police, and the civil administration after they were left stranded on the 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.
More snow in Kashmir
Parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar, received fresh snowfall on Sunday morning, hampering snow clearance operations on the highway.
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“The Jammu-Srinagar National highway has been partially restored. Stranded vehicles between Nashri and NAVYUG tunnels are being cleared first,” news agency PTI quoted an official of the traffic police as saying. Srinagar city also received light snowfall in the early hours of the day.
Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the 270-km highway since Friday when heavy snowfall forced closure of the road.
However, flight operations to and from Srinagar international airport have not been affected by inclement weather as three flights have already arrived. “Flight operations at Srinagar airport are going on normally,” an Airport Authority of India official said.
Train services have also been operating as per schedule, the officials said.
A man walks past vehicles covered in snow after fresh snowfall, in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, on Saturday, January 24 | PTI Photo
Himachal shivers
Himachal Pradesh also shivered under intense cold amid overcast conditions on Saturday. The hill state, a day after heavy snowfall, blocked traffic movement on more than 680 roads, including two national highways.
Officials said 5,775 transformers were affected by snowfall, leaving thousands of households without electricity.
Minimum temperatures in most places of the state on Saturday were normal for this time of the year, with Kukumseri in the Lahaul and Spiti district recording a low of minus 7.2 degrees Celsius.
The weather department said heavy snowfall was very likely in the higher reaches of the state on January 25, and a yellow warning for dense fog and cold wave conditions has been issued for multiple districts.
Temperatures drop in Delhi, AQI improves
Delhi saw a sharp fall in the minimum temperatures following the spell of rain, with the city’s base weather station, Safdarjung, recording a minimum temperature of 7.6 degrees Celsius, 0.1 degrees above the season’s normal, on Saturday. This marked a sharp fall from Friday’s low of 13.7 degrees Celsius, which was the highest in four years.
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Ayanagar registered the lowest minimum temperature in Delhi on Saturday at 6 degrees Celsius.
Delhi also saw an improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday, with a reading of 176 in the “moderate” category, according to the Sameer app.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a partly cloudy sky, with minimum and maximum temperatures likely to be below normal in Delhi on Sunday.
Fog warning
The IMD has forecast dense to very dense fog in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab on January 25 and 26, while shallow to moderate fog is likely in Delhi in the morning on Sunday.
Gulmarg, in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, was the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir at minus 12 degrees Celsius, followed by Sonamar, in Ganderbal district, at minus 10.5 degrees Celsius, while Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.
The valley is currently under the grip of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, the 40-day harsh winter period.
The meteorological department has forecast light rain and snow at isolated places in Kashmir on Saturday and Sunday. Another western disturbance is likely to impact Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, under the influence of which, light to moderate rain/snow is likely at most places.
People make their way through a snow-covered road after fresh snowfall, at Manali in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, Saturday, January 24 | PTI Photo
Freezing plains
Parts of Rajasthan recorded near-freezing night temperatures, with Lunkaransar in Bikaner emerging as the coldest in the state at 0.3 degrees Celsius.
Mount Abu, the state’s only hill station, recorded a minimum temperature of 0.6 degrees Celsius, while Jaipur logged a minimum of 9.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
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The Met department has forecast a further dip in temperatures in Rajasthan due to cold northerly winds.
Cold conditions also intensified across Punjab and Haryana, with Bathinda emerging as the coldest in both states, recording a low of 0.8 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal.
Hisar in Haryana registered a minimum temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius, while Faridkot and Ferozepur in Punjab reeled under intense cold, recording minimum temperatures of 1 degree and 1.6 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius.
(With agency inputs)