Gangtok, March 21: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a medium-danger avalanche warning for areas above 3,500 metres in Gangtok and Pakyong district, valid for the next 24 hours.

The alert, disseminated through the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, advised residents, trekkers, and tourists in high-altitude regions to avoid unnecessary travel and adhere to local safety guidelines.

The Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment also issued a similar forecast for these areas.

The warning follows recent severe weather conditions in the region. On March 15, thunderstorms and hailstorms affected Pakyong, Gangtok, and Mangan district, causing damage to power infrastructure. A conductor snapped on the 66 kV Rorathang–Rongli transmission line near Amba in Pakyong, disrupting electricity supply to Rongli and Rhenock.

In Gangtok, a fault on the 66 kV Marchak–Macleods line near Namli led to outages in Nimtar, Topkhani, and Singtam. Additionally, the 66 kV LLHP–Sichey line failed during trial charging, according to the state Power Department.

Separately, the DGRE issued an avalanche and snowfall warning for high-altitude areas of Uttarakhand, effective until 5:00 PM on Saturday. Districts including Uttarkashi district, Chamoli district, and Pithoragarh district have been placed under danger level-3, while Rudraprayag district and Bageshwar district are under level-1 risk.

The State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun has directed district authorities to remain alert and take precautionary measures, citing the possibility of sudden avalanches due to ongoing snowfall.