Season's first snowfall blankets Himachal's Kinnaur, Uttarkhand's Hemkund Sahib

The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand received snowfall on Saturday, bringing colder weather to both states. Rain in lower areas prompted weather alerts, and authorities suspended the Char Dham Yatra until September 27.

In Himachal Pradesh, Kinnaur recorded its first snowfall of the season in the Kuno Charang area near the Tibet border. Snow also fell in Chitkul and along the route to Dumti. The rest of Kinnaur received rain, as did Shimla and Dharamshala.

The snow has made conditions difficult for people staying with their livestock in the mountains. Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest place in the state, recording a minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius.

In Uttarakhand, Hemkund Sahib and the surrounding area in Chamoli district were covered in snow. Around half a foot had accumulated at the shrine. Pilgrims continued to visit despite the cold. The Hemkund Sahib Yatra is scheduled to run until October 10.

Snowfall was also reported near Chakratirth on the Badrinath–Satopanth trekking route on Friday evening. Trekking groups camping there experienced the snowfall, while lower parts of Chamoli received rain.RAIN ALERTS, CHAR DHAM YATRA SUSPENDED

Heavy rain led authorities to suspend the Char Dham Yatra from Saturday afternoon until September 27. Schools up to Class 12 were closed in Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Rudraprayag.

Prajapati Nautiyal, the Officer on Special Duty for the Char Dham Yatra, said pilgrims had been advised to stay in safe places and resume their journey only when the weather cleared. He said officials were asking them to follow instructions from the local administration.

The weather department issued a red alert for five Uttarakhand districts on Saturday. It forecast heavy to very heavy rain in several areas on Sunday, with extremely heavy rain possible at some places. Red alerts have been issued for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami urged residents and tourists to avoid unnecessary travel. Officials have been asked to monitor river levels, roads at risk of landslides, pilgrimage routes and tourist destinations. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.

In Himachal Pradesh, the Shimla weather office forecast rain until September 29. It issued an orange alert for heavy rain in parts of Sirmaur on Sunday and yellow alerts for seven districts, including Shimla, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi.- Ends