The Hindu : Front Page : North India shivers after snow, rain

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 06, 2006
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

North India shivers after snow, rain

Kashmir, Himachal and Uttaranchal bear the brunt as temperatures fall sharply

INSIDE KASHMIR: A vehicle covered with snow in the hill resort of Gulmarg, some 50 km from Srinagar, on Tuesday. All roads to Gulmarg were blocked due to heavy snowfall. PHOTO: PTI

NEW DELHI: North India shivered in the grip of cold weather on Tuesday as parts of Jammu and Kashmir were covered by seven feet of snow and Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh witnessed showers and snowfall that made the mercury dip sharply.

As winter tightened its grip on the region, Kupwara and Baramulla districts in Kashmir experienced the season's first heavy snowfall. The headquarters of both districts saw eight inches of snowfall while the high-altitude areas reported six to seven feet of snow. Upper reaches of the hill resort of Gulmarg received seven feet of snow while the Amarnath cave shrine saw six feet of snow.

The piercing cold wave sweeping most parts of Himachal Pradesh continued unabated as mountain passes and high reaches had intermittent snowfall for the second day while rain lashed other high-altitude areas and mid-hills.

Uttaranchal's higher reaches received the winter's first heavy snowfall while the plains witnessed the season's first rainfall, bringing cold wave conditions to the hill State.

Delhi had light showers on a mist-covered morning but the mercury maintained its upward trend. The city woke up under a thick blanket of clouds for the second successive day and later experienced light rain.

The minimum temperature, however, rose to 15 degrees Celsius, seven degrees above the normal during this time of the season. Monday's minimum was 13.1 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperatures in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh too remained above normal though most areas in the region were lashed by widespread rain.

Five inches to two feet of snowfall was reported in parts of Pulwama and Baramulla districts in south Kashmir.

The health resort of Yousmarg received nearly two feet of snow along with parts of central Kashmir since Monday night.

Sonamarg on the Srinagar-Leh national highway, which was closed to vehicular traffic last month for winter due to heavy snow, was also covered by a thick snow blanket. Officials said Zojila Pass on the road connecting Ladakh to the Kashmir Valley was buried under seven feet of snow. Srinagar and adjoining areas were lashed by heavy rain since Monday night. After remaining hidden for the past few days, the sun shone briefly over Srinagar on Tuesday but failed to provide any relief from the bitter cold.

Strong winds

The early snowfall has forced the authorities to advance the winter vacation in all educational institutions, which usually starts on December 15, by a week.

Strong winds swept Himachal Pradesh, causing a sharp fall in the temperatures and forcing many people to stay indoors. The sky remained overcast and a thick fog engulfed the region, affecting life and road traffic.

The Rohtang Pass was covered by 200 cm of snow while accumulation of 150 cm of snow disrupted traffic near the tourist resort of Manali.

Shimla was lashed by intermittent rain and icy winds, which made the minimum temperature dip to 5.8 degrees C.

Uttaranchal's capital Dehra Dun had received 8.5 mm of rain by noon. The higher reaches of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Uttarkashi, Mussoorie and Chamoli experienced heavy snowfall. - PTI.

Staff Reporter adds from Jammu

As a cold wave sweeps the higher reaches of the State, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed on Tuesday due to landslips triggered by heavy rain. Officials said the landslips blocked the route at Ramban, 173 km from here. There were also landslips in the Ramsu area on the National Highway and hundreds of vehicles were stranded.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page