Tourist hotspots Manali, Shimla, Kashmir turn white after heavy snowfall | Watch

TOurist hotspot ithiel town of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh witnessed snowfall on fri, finish a three-month long dry out geological period, while Kashmir also saw its first major snow spell. Snowfall was also reported from higher-altitude of other tourist hubs in the state such as Manali.The local meteorological office of Himachal warned of intense snowfall and rainfall over the coming days, news agency PTI reported. In response to the weather conditions, the Shimla district administration issued an advisory urging residents and visitors to avoid driving until conditions improve.Authorities also said snowfall in upper areas like Chopal has led to the closure of the Chopal-Deha road, the report added. News agency ANI shared visuals of the snowfall. The Shimla Meteorological Centre had earlier forecast heavy rain and snow for January 23 and issued an ‘orange alert’ for several districts.As per the forecast, districts including Kullu, Chamba, and Lahaul-Spiti are under an ‘orange alert’ due to the likelihood of heavy snowfall, rain, thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds at isolated locations.A ‘yellow alert’ has been sounded for Shimla, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Sirmour, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kinnaur and Una, where heavy rain, hailstorms, cold day conditions and thunderstorms are expected in parts, the report noted. The weather department has also predicted snowfall and rainfall in mid and high-altitude regions on January 24, followed by dry weather on January 25, and another spell of heavy precipitation between January 26 and 28. Weather conditions across Himachal Pradesh remained largely dry over the past 24 hours, the report stated.Hamirpur experienced severe cold wave conditions, while districts such as Mandi, Una, Kangra and Bilaspur reported cold wave conditions. Tabo village in Lahaul and Spiti recorded the lowest temperature in the state at minus 8.7 degrees Celsius.Kashmir sees first major snowfall of season, schools, highways closedMeanwhile, Kashmir witnessed also its first major snowfall of the season. The snowfall led to the closure of a national highway in the region. Authorities cautioned that normalisation of services could take longer than anticipated due to prevailing weather conditions.Snow-clearing operations were also underway at Srinagar Airport on Friday morning, and passengers were advised to stay in contact with their respective airlines for updates.Tourist destination Gulmarg recorded between 20 and 24 inches of fresh snow.Schools were closed in Rajouri and Poonch districts as a precautionary measure amid the inclement weather. The Vaishno Devi shrine also received fresh snowfall, affecting pilgrimage activities.(With inputs from PTI, ANI)