Shimla
Amidst drought-like conditions in Himachal Pradesh, dense fog is exacerbating the problems for residents. The Meteorological Department has issued a fog alert for seven districts of the state until December 31. Life and traffic in the plains are being affected by the fog.
According to the Meteorological Department, an orange alert has been issued for Mandi and Bilaspur districts, while a yellow alert is in effect for some areas of Una, Hamirpur, Kangra, Solan, and Sirmaur. Drivers have been advised to exercise extra caution. A warning has been issued regarding particularly dense fog in the Bhakra Dam area and the Balh Valley.
However, there is some good news: the weather may change for the better around the New Year. According to the Shimla Meteorological Center, there are chances of rain and snowfall in the mid and upper mountainous regions between December 30 and January 2. The lack of rain in November and December has deepened the crisis for Rabi crops.
The fog has also significantly impacted rail traffic. The Delhi Shatabdi and Himalayan Queen trains on the Kalka-Shimla route arrived late. Several trains bound for Una were also affected, including the Himachal Express, Vande Bharat Express, and the Indore Bi-weekly Express.
Regarding temperatures, a drop of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius has been recorded in the minimum temperature in some parts of the state. Temperatures in the higher mountainous regions ranged between -4 and -7 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature recorded in Kukumseri was -4.2 degrees Celsius.
