Kedarnath Yatra temporarily suspended
Heavy downpour and adverse weather conditions caused disruptions across Uttarakhand on Sunday, leading to the temporary suspension of the Kedarnath Yatra, and that left hundreds of pilgrims stranded.
The intense rainfall caused local streams and rivers to swell and led to debris accumulation at certain locations, which was cleared immediately. Following a weather warning issued for the Rudraprayag district, Char Dham Yatra pilgrims were stopped at secure holding areas in Srinagar.
Srinagar SDM Nupur Verma said about 400 vehicles were accommodated at the NIT Ground and Awas Vikas Ground on the instructions of the district magistrate. The movement of vehicles was restricted from 10 am onwards.
As weather conditions improved, the stranded vehicles were allowed to move toward their destinations in a phased manner. Special arrangements for drinking water, food, and lodging were being provided for pilgrims who chose to halt for the night.
The Srinagar district administration has set up a control room for coordination and assistance. In case of emergency, pilgrims can contact the Srinagar Tehsil Office on 01346-251178. Assistance centres operating from 6 am to 8 pm can be reached at 8533851735 for the NIT Ground and 9286486043 for the Kaliasaur Porta Cabin.
Rudraprayag district administration authorities issued an immediate directive to halt the Kedarnath Yatra, placing pilgrims at the nearest holding zones and safe locations due to an orange alert issued by the weather department. The alert predicted heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and adverse weather conditions across the district.
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said sector officers deployed at all landslide-prone zones, including Sonprayag and Gaurikund, were instructed to ensure no pilgrim advanced further until the weather normalised.
Officials from the police, DDRF, SDRF, NDRF, and other departmental teams remained on alert along the yatra route. The district administration ensured essential facilities and safety arrangements at all holding points.
Later in the day, the temporary restrictions on the Kedarnath Yatra were lifted during the afternoon hours as rains ceased and weather conditions improved along the pedestrian route. Movement was restored from various transit halts, allowing the Kedarnath pilgrimage to resume smoothly.
Significant rainfall was recorded after 8:30 am on Sunday, including 31.0 mm in Champawat, 27.5 mm in Kaladhungi, 26.0 mm in Ganai Gangoli, 13.7 mm in Pithoragarh, and 5.2 mm in Mussoorie.
Maximum temperatures across both the plains and hills of Uttarakhand remained markedly below normal during the past 24 hours.
In Dehradun, the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded on Sunday were 26.6 degrees Celsius and 17.0 degrees Celsius, which were nine degrees and five degrees below normal, respectively.
Pantnagar recorded a maximum of 32.0 degrees Celsius, Mukteshwar 14.8 degrees Celsius, and New Tehri 18.6 degrees Celsius.
According to the evening forecast issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), high-altitude areas of Uttarakhand located at 3,800 metres and above are likely to receive snowfall, while several other parts of the state are expected to experience light to moderate rain or thunderstorms on Monday.
The IMD stated that light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, or snowfall are likely at many places in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, and Pithoragarh districts. Similar weather conditions are expected at a few places in the remaining districts of the state.
The weather office has issued a yellow watch warning, alerting residents about potential atmospheric disruptions. Isolated places in the hill districts face the risk of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour, and intense to very intense spells of rain.
Concurrently, isolated pockets in the plains districts are likely to experience thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds ranging between 40 and 50 kilometres per hour.
The weather department noted that daytime temperatures are likely to rise by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days across the state.
For the state capital, the weather office has predicted a mainly clear to partly cloudy sky for Monday. One or two spells of very light to light rain or thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour, are likely to occur in some areas of Dehradun.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to settle around 33 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius.
