Shimla, March 16 The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh received fresh snowfall on Monday, while a severe storm accompanied by lightning and hail lashed the state capital Shimla and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, police continued their operation to move stranded vehicles from the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang to the popular hill station of Manali.
As snowfall continued in the suburbs of Manali for the second consecutive day, police rescued over 1,000 vehicles stranded near the Atal Tunnel since Sunday night.
Vehicles were stranded at several points due to ice formation on the roads, causing hardship to tourists, some of whom started on foot from the Atal Tunnel down towards Solang Nallah.
Many others said they narrowly avoided accidents as their vehicles skidded on the snow.
The police continued rescue operations day and night, with the help of locals.
"Some colleagues and I reached the Atal Tunnel to assist as we got news of tourists being stranded," said Dhanraj, a taxi driver.
He said they have been evacuating tourists using 4x4 vehicles, and a majority of the stranded people have now been safely moved from the area.
"(We are) Stranded here since Saturday night and now gradually being moved towards Manali. There are no arrangements for food or drinking water," said Prem Lal, a stranded driver.
A tourist said he was provided food by social organizations working in Sissu.
"We set out from Manali towards Keylong on Saturday when the snowfall was light. But on return, the snowfall intensified significantly, and we have been stranded here since Sunday evening. But now vehicles are being evacuated from the area," said Amit, a commuter.
The Dhauladhar range in Kangra district was covered under a thin blanket of snow on Monday morning, while snow was also witnessed in Dalhousie in Chamba district.
A severe storm accompanied by lightning and hail lashed Shimla and the surrounding areas on Monday, disrupting normal life. Dark convective clouds overcast the sky, giving a night-like appearance to the day, with lights glistening from buildings against an obscure landscape.
Visibility was reduced to zero, and vehicles were forced to move at a snail's pace with headlights on during midday.
According to Shobit Katariya, an official at the Shimla Met office, the higher reaches of Shimla district received 10.2 cm of snow in the 24 hours until Monday evening, followed by Kalpa (6.4 cm) and Lahaul-Spiti (2 cm).
Traces of snow were also witnessed in Shillaro and Bharnaur, while light to moderate snowfall was reported in isolated high altitude areas of Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, Kinnaur, and Lahaul and Spiti districts.
Manali in Kullu district, which received 38 mm of rain, was the wettest place in the state, followed by Bhuntar (Kullu) 34.2 mm, Dharamshala (Kangra) 33.5 mm, Salooni (Chamba) 32 mm, Sarahan (Shimla) 29.5 mm, Bhaba Nagar (Kinnaur) 29 mm, Rampur (Shimla) 28 mm, Mandi 24.6 mm, Kataula (Mandi) 23.4 mm, Kangra 23.2 mm, Bhattiyat (Chamba) 23.1 mm, Neri (Hamirpur) 22 mm, Bharmour (Chamba) 20.5 mm, Pandoh and Sundernagar (Mandi) 20.4 mm each, Gohar (Mandi) 20 mm and Shimla 18.2 mm, the official said.
Following snow and rain in the higher reaches, there was a marked drop in temperatures. Tabo in Lahaul-Spiti recorded the coldest night temperature at minus 2.5 degrees Celsius, while Nahan in Sirmaur was the hottest during the day with a high of 25.5 degrees Celsius.
From March 1 to 16, Himachal Pradesh received 15.9 mm of rain, compared to the season's average of 60.7 mm, a deficit of 74 per cent.
Rain in March is considered good for the Rabi crop, according to officials in the agriculture department.
