HP: Snowfall, rain sends several places sub-zero; renders 387 roads shut

SHIMLA: Cold wave in Himachal Pradesh got further aggravated on Wednesday following fresh snowfall and rain in the tribal and hilly areas that caused a drop in minimum temperatures.

A total of 387 roads, including four national highways, were rendered shut by snow and 895 electricity transformers were disrupted, the state emergency response centre said. Lahaul and Spiti had the most number of roads, 288, closed, followed by Chamba and Kullu, which had 77 and 12 roads rendered unnavigable.

Manali was wettest with 29 mm of rain, followed by Salooni, and Tissa, and Chamba.

Minimum temperatures across the region dropped by a few notches and with several places shivering under sub-zero temperatures.

Kusumseri was coldest in the state with a low of minus 7.1 degrees. The state received 104.2 mm against a normal rainfall of 158 cm from January 1 to February 21.

The local Meteorological station has predicted dry weather in lower and mid hills for the next four days and rain or snow at isolated places in higher hills on Thursday and Saturday, followed by another wet spell on February

26 and 27.