Snow in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and widespread rain in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on Friday morning intensified cold wave in the region.
Himachal witnessed the first widespread snow of the season, ending a prolonged dry period of nearly four months.
Higher regions of Shimla district, including Chopal, Rampur, Narkanda, Khadapathar and Kufri, have been receiving snow since morning.
Road connectivity in the upper reaches of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti was disrupted due to heavy snow. Vehicular movement was affected on key routes, including the Manali-Leh highway, Darcha-Shinkula road, and the road between Tandi and Kadu Nala. Mild snow was reported from Manali, Dagshai and Chail, while lower regions received rain.
In Dharamsala, minimum temperatures in tourist places like Naddi, Dharamkot, Bhagsunag and McLeodganj dropped to near-freezing levels. The popular Triund trekking site received snow. Strong winds on Thursday night disrupted power supply in some localities, though electricity was restored on Friday morning.
The rain has brought much-needed relief to farmers, especially wheat-growers, who had been stressed due to the prolonged dry winter. Tourism operators also welcomed the change in the weather, saying fresh snow and rain are likely to boost tourist inflow.
“Hotel occupancy in Dharamsala, Naddi, Dharamkot, Bhagsunag and McLeodganj had dropped to just 10 per cent. We are hopeful of better business in the coming days,” said Sanjeev Gandhi, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association.
Meanwhile, Chandigarh and adjoining areas received rain on Friday morning, which brought down the temperatures.
Most places of Punjab and Haryana, including their joint capital Chandigarh, have been witnessing inclement weather since late Thursday night.
According to the local Met office, places in Punjab that received rain include Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pathankot, Bathinda, Faridkot, Gurdaspur, Mansa and Rupnagar. Chandigarh was also lashed by heavy rain, with the minimum temperature settling at 10.9°C.
In Haryana, Ambala, Hisar, Karnal, Narnaul, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Sirsa and Sonipat received rainfall.
As per the Met department, Karnal recorded a minimum temperature of 12.6°C, Hisar 12.3°, Ambala 12°, Gurugram 13.5° and Sirsa 12.4°C.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a low of 11.5°C, Patiala 12°, Pathankot 11.4°, Bathinda 11°, and Faridkot 11.5°.
In Delhi, a long spell of dry winter weather ended as several parts of the city received the first rain of the year. Rain accompanied by thunderstorm and gusty winds also brought brief relief from high pollution levels.
The change in weather has been attributed to the season’s first intense western disturbance, the weather office said.
The air traffic to and fro Kashmir was suspended after flight operations were cancelled at the Srinagar airport due to bad weather, officials said.
“In view of continuous snowfall, accumulation of snow on operational areas, and the prevailing forecast of adverse weather en route, all flight operations at Srinagar airport stand cancelled for the day in the interest of passenger safety,” officials at the airport said. (With inputs from PTI)
