IMD issues avalanche alert for Himachal's high-altitude areas; check details 

An avalanche alert has been issued for high-altitude areas in Himachal Pradesh for the next 24 hours, the Meteorological Department said on Saturday, warning of a prolonged wet spell in the state until Thursday. Light snowfall since Friday evening has added to the challenges in the region, affecting travel and daily life.

The Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment, Chandigarh, issued an "orange" alert for possible avalanches in Chamba, Kullu, Kinnaur, and Lahaul and Spiti districts. Snow accumulation has been reported in several areas, with Gondla and Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti receiving 8 cm and 4.2 cm of snow, respectively, while Kalpa in Kinnaur recorded 2 cm.

Heavy snowfall since February 26 has severely impacted tribal communities, particularly in Chamba’s Pangi valley, where road closures have forced villagers to carry patients to hospitals manually. 

Similarly, villagers from Hudan panchayat recently carried two patients, Sher Singh and Hira Lal, on their backs to seek medical attention.

Rainfall and thunderstorms were also reported across the state. Kalpa recorded 22.6 mm of rain, followed by Manali (18 mm), Kotkhai (16.1 mm), Rohru (15 mm), Saloni (14.2 mm), Theog and Kufri (12 mm each), Kasauli (11 mm), Seobagh (10 mm), Bhuntar (8.6 mm), Shimla (8.2 mm), Solan (7 mm), and Chamba (6 mm). Thunderstorms were observed in Bhuntar, Jot, and Palampur, while Kufri experienced hailstorms.

The cold conditions persisted, with Kukumseri recording the lowest night temperature at minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, while Dhaulakuan in Sirmaur district was the warmest during the day at 26.7 degrees Celsius.

From March 1 to 15, Himachal Pradesh received 60.7 mm of rainfall, surpassing the normal 57.4 mm for this period, marking a 6 percent excess.