Several places in Himachal Pradesh have received heavy snow.
Tourists have been advised against travelling to Shimla and Manali after over 250 roads were blocked due to heavy snow in Himachal Pradesh, news agency PTI reported.
Shimla Police has been posting updates about the traffic situation on its Facebook page. "There is heavy snow and trees have been falling. The roads are slippery. Everyone must reach home by 5 pm," Shimla Police said in its latest post along with a helpline number.
Pictures posted by the police on Facebook show roads and cars covered in a thick blanket of snow. On Tuesday, three people were rescued after their car got stuck in heavy snow in Narkanda town in Shimla.
Roads in some parts of Manali have also been blocked due to snow. "Vehicles are not allowed beyond green tax barrier. The police have requested people to not go towards Manali till further instructions," Kullu Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh told news agency PTI.
Shimla received 20 centimeters of snowfall between 5.30 pm on Tuesday and 8.30 am on Wednesday, the weather office said. Dalhousie, another popular tourist destination, received 35 centimeters of snowfall. Manali received 22 centimeters, Kalpa 16 centimeters and Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti received 8 centimeters of snow.
North India is experiencing an intense cold wave, with temperature dipping to record low at various places. The day temperature in Delhi in December fell to its lowest level in 119 years on December 30, making it the coldest day since 1901, the weather office had said. Temperature at some places in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh also fell sharply.
(With inputs from PTI)