Shimla: In the early hours of Monday, powerful windstorms and lightning struck several parts of Himachal Pradesh, triggering an orange alert. The storms uprooted trees, blew away roofs, damaged houses and cowsheds, and caused widespread power outages.
Damage in Kullu District
Around two dozen houses and a dozen cowsheds were damaged in parts of Kullu district, including the Banjar sub-division and the Kaisdhar area near Kullu. The windstorm struck around 3 am, blowing off roofs—especially tin roofs—and uprooting dozens of trees, many of which fell on houses. The Aut-Luhri Highway 305 remained blocked for several hours at Jalori Jot due to fallen trees. Locals cleared the road, reopening it by morning.
Gusty winds also blew away the roof of a building adjacent to the Bijli Mahadev temple complex, and a tree fell on the structure, causing damage. According to the Kullu administration, at least seven school buildings were partially damaged, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 6.80 lakh.
Panic and Power Disruptions
The sudden storm, accompanied by lightning, caused panic among villagers, who rushed out of their homes. Many villagers reported that roofs of cowsheds were blown away and demanded compensation from the local administration. The storm also disrupted power supply in several places across the district.
Impact in Kangra and Other Districts
In Kangra district, uprooted trees fell on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway track at several spots. Power outages were also reported in parts of Una and Hamirpur districts. In Palampur's Brindaban area, a linesman named Mohan Lal was electrocuted while repairing storm-hit power lines on Monday morning.
Thunderstorms and gusty winds were also reported from parts of Shimla, Sirmaur, and Solan districts.
Weather Alerts
The weather department has issued an orange alert for thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds, and hailstorms in Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, and Sirmaur districts for May 12. A yellow alert has been issued for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba, Kangra, and Solan districts for the same date.
Saach Pass Reopened
The high-altitude Saach Pass, which connects the remote Pangi valley with the rest of Chamba district, was reopened for light vehicles after seven months. A public works department official said that the route was reopened almost a month in advance. The Saach Pass, located at an altitude of around 4,400 metres, is closed every year at the beginning of winter in October due to heavy snowfall.
