New Delhi: Amid heavy snowfall in Sikkim, landslides have disrupted road connectivity in several areas. Around 1,000 tourists are stranded in Lachen, and efforts are on to rescue them at the earliest. The Army has successfully rescued a total of 135 stranded tourists.
In north India, the lingering effects of three western disturbances mean that winter conditions are still being felt in April. In Rajasthan, temperatures have plunged by up to 7 degrees Celsius due to changing weather patterns in the last 20 days. The Meteorological Department on Thursday issued a storm warning - warning of gusty winds and thunderstorms - in 17 states, including Chhattisgarh and Bihar. An 'orange warning' for rain has been issued for Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
In Bihar, the 'Kaal Baisakhi' weather system has become active. Kaal Baisakhi refers to sudden, intense storms characterised by strong winds. These storms usually occur during April and May (the month of *Vaisakh*). When active, this system produces winds of 50 to 100 kmph, accompanied by rain and hail. These weather events are usually short-lived.
The weather conditions are expected to be the most severe in Assam and Meghalaya, where an 'orange warning' for storms, rain and hail has been issued. Meanwhile, humid weather conditions are expected in the southern states - Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and coastal Karnataka.