Shimla in Himachal Pradesh receives heavy snowfall
The hill states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir have been receiving heavy snowfall since Monday.
Temperatures dropped drastically in Uttarakhand on Tuesday, after a major hailstorm hit the state. In Mussoorie, roads were covered by a thick layer of hail and people stayed indoors. The Meteorological department says, temperatures are likely to drop to as low as minus three degrees Celsius and people can expect rain and more hailstorms over the next 24 hours.
Shimla and Manali continued to get more snowfall for the second day on Tuesday, while the lower slopes of Himachal Pradesh received heavy rain, bringing the temperature down by several degrees. Localities around Shimla remained cut off with heavy snow piling on the roads but that did not deter tourists.
Intermittent snowfall continued at many places across Kashmir, with the minimum temperature settling at below the freezing point. Srinagar received 23 cm of snowfall in the last 24 hours, a Met department official said. Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for Amarnath Yatra, received 39 cm of snowfall in the last 24 hours while Gulmarg, the popular ski resort received 45 cm of snow. The minimum temperature at Gulmarg was minus 10.5 degrees Celsius, which was colder than Leh on Monday.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was shut for the second day today due to snowfall. An official of the traffic control room said road maintenance agencies are working towards clearing the highway. Air traffic resumed at Srinagar airport this morning.
Unseasonal rain and hailstorm damages standing crops in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh
While the states in north welcomed the rain and snow, farmers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh suffered big losses. Two people died after a massive hailstorm hit Vidarbha. Unseasonal rain and hailstorm damaged standing crops in Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Dhule, Nandurbar and Aurangabad districts. The Maharashtra government has ordered an assessment of the damage caused due to hailstorms.
In Madhya Pradesh too, February rain has impacted standing rabi crops like wheat, gram and oilseeds. "Hailstorm has affected many districts in the state. I have instructed all collectors to evaluate crop damage; losses suffered by farmers will be compensated", said Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.