Wintry conditions in tribal areas of HP

Shimla, Apr 19 (UNI) Wintry conditions continued to prevail in tribal districts of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh after receiving moderate to heavy snowfall during the last five days.

The high altitude areas of these districts experienced mild intermittent snowfall for the fifth day today, while light intermittent showers lashed the lower areas, plummeting day and night temperatures in the districts.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district of the state recorded a night temperature of minus 0.7 degrees, while recording 1.4 mm of rain till 0830 hrs today. Dhundi in Kullu district recorded 8.6 mm of rains during the last 24 hours.

The tribal districts of the state were in the grip of severe cold wave conditions with minimum temperatures between minus five and minus eight degree Celsius.

Fresh snowfall also hampered snow-clearing operations on the Manali-Leh Highway and Border Road Organisation (BRO) officials said the 13,50 foot high Rohtang Pass, which was likely to be opened by April this year, would now only be opened by the first week of May.

Cold conditions were also prevailing at Shimla and its adjoining areas with people being forced to take out their woollens, which they had tucked away in view of the coming summers.

The minimum temperature at Shimla rose marginally to 8.2 degrees Celsius as against 7.6 degrees C yesterday, while the day temperature was 16.5 degrees C today.

While Sundernagar and Bhuntar recorded night temperatures of 10.5 and 8.5 degrees C respectively, the day temperatures soared to 28.5 and 23.6 degree C respectively.

UNI AS HS PK KN1853