Jagran Correspondent, Dehradun: As the monsoon nears its end, heavy rain has once again lashed Uttarakhand, disrupting normal life. The downpour, which began on Friday night, continued through Saturday, with Kumaon among the worst-affected regions.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Dehradun, Tehri, and Pauri on Sunday. Heavy to very heavy and sometimes extremely heavy rainfall is expected at some places in these districts. An orange alert has also been issued for the remaining districts of the state. Meanwhile, the Char Dham Yatra has also been suspended.
Continuous rain has been continuing since Saturday morning in the surrounding areas including New Tehri, due to which normal life has been affected. The weather has become colder. Rain has been continuing since Saturday morning in all the tehsil areas including Uttarkashi. At the same time, snowfall has occurred on the peaks adjoining the high Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham. The cold has increased due to rain and snowfall. Yamunotri National Highway has been blocked due to falling stones near Durbil.
Bad Weather In Chamoli For 2 Days
Whereas the weather in Chamoli will remain bad for two days. Rain has increased the cold here. Garhwal region is also receiving rain for more than 27 hours, which has had a huge impact on life. Rain is continuing in Champawat as well. Till now the national highway is operational but three rural roads are closed. Due to continuous rain in Nainital, Haldwani Nainital road is closed in Dolmar and Jyolikot. In Pithoragarh, the road is closed due to continuous falling of stones in the Ghat after rain, life has been affected due to closure of 13 roads in the district.
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Heavy Rains To Lash Dehradun, Tehri And Pauri today
Rainfall for about 18 hours, starting Friday night, affected life, especially in Kumaon. In the last 24 hours, Banbasa in Champawat recorded the highest rainfall of 130 mm, while Tanakpur received 113 mm. Rikhanikhal in Pauri recorded the lowest rainfall of 5 mm. Several districts, including Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Dehradun, Tehri, Nainital, Bageshwar, and Pithoragarh, also recorded rainfall of more than 50 mm.
Heavy Rains Affect Normal Life In Kumaon
The rain also caused a significant drop in temperatures. Dehradun recorded a maximum temperature of six degrees below normal, and Pantnagar recorded 11 degrees Celsius. A landslide near Kanda Khaikhal in Bageshwar caused debris and boulders to fall onto the road. This closed the Garud-Bageshwar National Highway, and long queues of vehicles formed on both sides, causing inconvenience to commuters.
Chardham Yatra Suspended
The Chardham Yatra has been suspended on Sunday in response to a weather warning. Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Anand Swaroop issued orders halting the pilgrimage. Snowfall is occurring on high peaks, including Badrinath Dham. The high Himalayan villages of Dharchula and Munsyari have also experienced snowfall, and the high peaks are covered in snow.
Due to the risk of landslides, the doors of the Shaktipeeth Maa Purnagiri Dham have also been closed until further notice. Inner Line Permits for the Adi Kailash and Om Parvat Darshan Yatra have been suspended until October 26.
Dehradun Flight Operations Affected
Bad weather also affected air services at the Dehradun airport in Jolly Grant. According to airport management, Air India flights scheduled to arrive from Mumbai at 9:55 am, Delhi at 10:20 am, and Bengaluru at 12:20 pm on Saturday were diverted to Delhi. An Air India Express flight scheduled to arrive from Delhi at 12:20 pm was cancelled. Air India's 1 pm flight from Delhi arrived in Dehradun at 5:10 pm. The 2:20 pm Air India flight from Mumbai landed at 2:38 pm IndiGo's 4 pm flight from Delhi arrived at 4:25 pm and its 5:35 pm flight from Navi Mumbai arrived in Dehradun at 5:57 pm.
According to the Meteorological Department, rain may continue in most areas of the state. Dehradun, Pauri and Tehri may receive extremely heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for heavy rainfall in the remaining districts. Wind speeds may exceed 50 kilometre per hour at some places. The Meteorological Department has also issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall in Uttarkashi, Dehradun and Haridwar on Monday. Amid continuous rain and snowfall in high altitude areas, the administration has appealed to travelers and tourists to plan their travels keeping in mind the weather conditions.