Himachal weather: Orange alert for heavy rain, hailstorm, gusty wind on April 13-14

TNR Desk

The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, heavy rain, gusty winds blowing at 40-50 kmph and hailstorm at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh on April 13 and 14.

Simultaneously, a yellow alert has been issued for April 12 and from April 15 to 17 for thunderstorm and lightening at isolated places. From April 13 to 15, there is a high probability of rain in most places of the state.

The Meteorological Department has advised residents to stay indoors during the period to avoid unnecessary risks. The increased rainfall may lead to sudden rises in river and stream levels, posing a threat of flooding. Additionally, the stormy weather could cause damage to fruits and crops, especially apples, due to hailstorm.

The Meteorological Department has predicted further snowfall in higher areas and thunderstorms with rain in lower parts on Friday. As many as 132 roads, including three national highways, are closed to traffic in the state due to landslides or snow-related reasons.

Thursday saw storms and rain in many areas, resulting in apple and fruit plant flowers being knocked down, along with snowfall in higher elevations. Chamba recorded 4 mm rainfall while Manali received 2 mm. Light rainfall also occurred in upper regions, including Shimla.

The drop in temperature on Thursday ranged from 3 to 9.7 degrees Celsius across the state. Significant decrease was recorded in Kullu with a drop of 9.7 degrees Celsius in Obagh, 6.4 degrees Celsius in Narkanda and 5 degrees Celsius in Reckong Peo, Kalpa and Bhuntar. Dharamshala, Hamirpur and Shimla also experienced 4 degrees Celsius drop in temperature.