By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 28 Feb: Rain and snowfall continued to affect the state for the second day today, causing a significant drop in temperature and affecting life across the state. The cold has intensified in the hills, while the plains have also experienced a significant temperature dip due to persistent rainfall. In the high Himalayan regions bordering China, severe cold and heavy snowfall have created hardships for villagers. Over two feet of snow accumulated in 14 villages of Darma Valley and seven villages of Vyas Valley, with peaks like Panchachuli, Adi Kailash, and Om Parvat witnessing up to three feet of snow. The temperature has plummeted to minus 11 degrees Celsius in the area, confining residents to their homes.
In the lower valleys, heavy rain has added to the cold, with Dharchula, Kalika, Baluwakot, and Jauljibi recording 37 mm of rainfall. The Kali River has turned muddy, and locals are bundling up in warm clothes. Snowfall has impacted Badrinath Dham, Hemkund Sahib, Valley of Flowers, Rudranath, Lal Mati, Nanda Ghunti, Auli, Gorson, and the Niti and Mana valleys, while rain has heightened the cold in the lower regions.
Kedarnath has been enveloped in dense clouds since early morning, with continuous snowfall for two days. Approximately half a foot of fresh snow has accumulated in the Dham, adding to the existing one and a quarter feet of snow. Light snowfall has also been reported in Mana, Niti Valley, Auli, Madmaheshwar, Tungnath, Chopta, upper Kalishila, and the upper forests of Gaundhar, Toshi, and Triyuginarayan.
Persistent rain has impacted most districts, including Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pauri, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Almora, Nainital, and Champawat. In Dehradun, while it mostly continued to drizzle yesterday through the day, it started raining heavily since late last evening and the rains continued through the day today on an intermittent basis. The weather centre had issued a yellow alert for snowfall and hailstorm in areas above 3,500 meters and heavy rain in some places for today but the weather is expected to clear across the state after 1 March.
Continuous rain over two days has led to a significant drop in temperature, particularly in Dehradun, where the maximum temperature decreased by 12.3 degrees in the last 24 hours. Meteorologists attribute this to an active western disturbance, which has caused widespread rain and snowfall, further lowering the temperature.
Despite the harsh weather, the late February rain and snowfall have helped recharge the state’s glaciers and rivers, providing relief in the coming days. This will help mitigate water scarcity issues in the summer months.
In Haridwar, sudden heavy rain disrupted normal life. School children had to attend exams with umbrellas, and officegoers relied on raincoats. Strong winds followed by rain have increased the cold, bringing chilly winds to the city.
In Mussoorie, continuous overnight rain has disrupted daily life. The temperature has dropped significantly, forcing residents to rely on bonfires and warm clothes. Schools in Mussoorie were closed for a day to ensure student safety. Vehicle movement in Vikasnagar, Dehradun, has been halted due to heavy overnight rain, leading to chaos. Continuous landslides from the hills along the Kalsi-Chakrata motor road have caused debris and boulders to block the route. The road is reported to remain closed from around 8 a.m., delaying passenger and loader vehicles. The Public Works Department deployed a JCB machine to clear the debris, and traffic was eventually restored.
