Just before the Char Dham yatra begins from April 21, the hilly states of North India have begun to receive light rain. According to the data available with Skymet Meteorology Division in India, Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand has received 2 mm of rain in 24 hours, from 8.30 am on Thursday. While Pithoragarh has recorded 1 mm of rain. It is to be noted that both the hilly towns were hit hard by the disaster caused by heavy rains and floods in Uttarakhand in 2013. Some other places in the state to have also received rain are Mukteshwar and Nainital where 18.7 mm and 7 mm of rainfall was recorded, respectively.
The neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have also witnessed some rain. For example Katra in Jammu and Kashmir received 17.6 mm of rain in 24 hours from 8.30 am on Thursday. Bhaderwah observed 10 mm, Quazigund 5.4 mm and Kokernag 3.7 mm of rain. In Himachal Pradesh the rainfall activity was lighter with Chamba observing 5 mm of rain, Dharamsala 4.4 mm and Shimla 3.9 mm.
And going by the weather models at Skymet, another weather system is likely to come up in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, April 18. This system will give light to moderate rain and snowfall in the hilly states from Sunday onwards. This weather may disrupt the initial preparations for the yatra.
