Heavy rain, snow in Dehradun, north dists in next 24 hrs: Met

Dehradun: The meteorological department has issued an orange alert for the next 24 hours for northern districts, including Dehradun, warning of heavy rainfall, snowfall in higher altitudes and strong winds of 40–50 kmph. A yellow alert has also been issued for other districts, cautioning against gusty winds.Fresh snowfall in the higher reaches and continuous rainfall in plain areas have triggered a significant drop in temperatures across the state, with the current weather spell expected to persist until Saturday morning, officials said Friday. Pilgrimage sites, including Badrinath and Kedarnath, recorded heavy snowfall over the past two days, with accumulation reaching up to two feet in some areas. The upper Himalayan region has been blanketed in fresh snow, while continuous snowfall has blocked the road between Sukki Top and Gangotri in Uttarkashi district. Harsil also witnessed fresh snowfall on Friday.The foothills and plain regions, including Dehradun, experienced steady rainfall since Thursday night. C S Tomar, director of regional meteorological centre, said the weather system has remained active since Thursday, bringing light to moderate rainfall across most parts of the state. "Over the past 24 hours, rainfall of up to 40 mm has been recorded in some areas," he said.The prevailing conditions are attributed to an active western disturbance, Tomar added. Snowfall has been reported in areas above 3,000 metres with similar conditions likely to continue over the next 24 hours.Officials said the current system is expected to weaken gradually from Saturday. However, another weather system may become active around Sunday, potentially bringing isolated rainfall to districts such as Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar. Overall, weather activity is likely to ease after Saturday, with only light, isolated rainfall expected until around March 26.The sudden shift in weather has led to a notable decline in temperatures across the state, providing temporary relief from rising heat but disrupting normal life in hilly regions. In Dehradun, the maximum temperature dropped to 17°C—nearly 10 degrees below normal—while Mukteshwar, a hill town in Nainital district, recorded a daytime temperature of around 6°C on Friday.