Dehradun: May is typically the peak season for the Char Dham yatra, when the largest number of pilgrims visit the four Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. However, this year, that expectation has not been met.
Unseasonal rain, snowfall, and repeated thunderstorm activity have made this year's pilgrimage season unusually turbulent from the start. Erratic weather has disrupted helicopter services, slowed pilgrim movement, and forced the state government to issue repeated advisories. The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for May 12 and 13—typically associated with the monsoon months, not May—forecasting heavy rain, hail, lightning, and gusty winds of 40 to 60 kmph across Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, and Pithoragarh districts. Fresh snowfall is also expected at higher elevations above 4,000 metres.
This is the second such orange alert this month. A similar warning was issued in the first week of May, when the Char Dham districts also witnessed snowfall—again uncharacteristic of the season.
Unusual Weather Patterns
Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (meteorology and climate change) at Skymet Weather, explained, 'We are witnessing an unusual western disturbance pattern affecting the Himalayan region. Typically, western disturbances move towards higher latitudes during May, following the seasonal shift of the sun. However, this time, they are travelling at comparatively lower latitudes, which is triggering unusual and intense weather activity across the Himalayas.'
Palawat added that the roots of this disruption go back to winter. 'During the winter season, the Himalayas witnessed fewer western disturbances than normal. The jet stream had shifted to higher latitudes, causing most western disturbances to largely miss the Himalayan region. Now the pattern has changed significantly—these disturbances are dipping southwards and impacting lower latitudes, resulting in freak weather conditions in the Himalayan states.'
Advisories and Precautions
CS Tomar, director of the regional meteorological centre in Dehradun, advised pilgrims to remain cautious near vulnerable hill slopes and stay updated on weather conditions before travelling. Echoing this caution, Garhwal commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey issued an advisory urging pilgrims to check forecasts before setting out. Local administration, police, and disaster management teams have been placed on alert, with personnel closely monitoring landslide-prone stretches along the yatra routes, officials said.
