Avalanche warning, Western disturbances forecast keep Uttarakhand on alert

Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE) has issued an avalanche warning in several parts of Uttarakhand in the next few days. The warning coincides with the Meteorological Department forecast of two successive rounds of Western disturbances in the next four days on March 26 and March 28.

The DGRE warning has been issued for the altitudes above 3000 metres, mainly in Garhwal’s Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts and Pithoragarh in Kumaon. The avalanche warning bulletin by the DGRE spoke of level two danger in these districts with the possibility of moderate slides of the snow mass above 3000 metres high altitudes. The bulletin delineated a second avalanche threat with danger level one for Rudraprayag and Bageshwar districts of Garhwal and Kumaon, respectively.

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According to the bulletin, the avalanche threat may also be aggravated by the Western disturbances forecast by the meteorological centre in Dehradun.
It’s notable that regions above 3000 metres have been witnessing repeated avalanches mainly in Badrinath temple area in Chamoli, Gangotri region of Uttarkashi and Kedarnath Shrine area in Rudraprayag for some years. However, the sliding of snow has not resulted in any catastrophe so far.

Meanwhile, Dehradun-based Meteorological Center of India has stated that this weather will take another turn in the Northern areas due to activation of two Western Disturbance systems consecutively in the region. Centre’s head Vikram Singh Tomar informed that weather is expected to remain unsettled across the state minimum till March 28 when this region of the Himalayas will undergo a second system of Western Disturbance.
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“Two systems of western disturbance leading to the rainfall in several parts of the state, will be activated one after another on March 26 and March 28. This will result in moderate to light rainfall in large hill areas and light pouring in pain locations. This is likely to keep the temperature low nearly across the state till March end” informed Tomar.