Orange Alert issued in North India: Heavy Rainfall occurs in Himachal and Intense Snowfall blankets

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February 28, 2025 | New Delhi: On Friday, Orange alert has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicating moderate to extreme rainfall in many north Indian states due to an impending western disturbance.

According to officials, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan are all expected to have moderate to light rainfall on Friday. Meanwhile, there will be heavy rainfall in several areas of northern Punjab.

Authorities in Himachal Pradesh issued an orange warning for areas that will see significant rainfall and snowfall, especially in the districts of Mandi, Kangra, Kullu, and Chamba. Similarly, Shimla, Lahaul, and Spiti are all on a yellow alert for severe precipitation.

The advisory said:

According to the DGRE and HPSDMA, there is a snow avalanche warning (Danger Level 3, Orange) in District Lahaul & Spiti up to 28th February 2025 (1700 hrs. IST) (enclosed). According to the advisory, medium-size avalanche triggering is possible on few extreme slopes and restriction of movement to only safe routes is advised.

Uttarakhand is once again under a heavy rain and snowfall advisory from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). There could be significant snowfall and rain in various state districts today. The meteorological service added that there could be isolated heavy showers in Dehradun during the next two days, while the hilly areas are predicted to get a lot of rain. A lot of snowfall is also expected to fall in districts like Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, and Almora, particularly in areas higher than 3,200 meters.

To ensure safety, the District Magistrate of Bageshwar announced a holiday for all government, semi-government, and private schools from class 1 to class 8, as well as Anganwadi centers.

In the higher regions of Kashmir, since 25 February, the severe weather has already produced moderate to heavy snowfall in renowned tourist locations like Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam. Landslides and mudslides blocked the section between Nashri and Navyug Tunnel, and snow accumulation between Ramsoo and Qazigund has closed the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Heavy rain and snowfall disrupted air, train, and road traffic in the Jammu region, resulting in at least five fatalities. Snowfall in many areas, such as the districts of Rajouri, Doda, and Bhalesa, caused temperatures to drop precipitously.

The Meteorological Department has forecasted and commented:

The weather generally will remain cloudy with light rain/snow at isolated to scattered places during March 1 and 2, while light to moderate rain and snow will occur at many places on March 3.