Overview

• High passes including Khardung La, Changla Top and upper reaches of Zanskar recorded the season’s first snowfall, with officials calling the August event unusual.
• Authorities temporarily closed the Khardung La road after slippery stretches made travel hazardous and urged residents and tourists to avoid high-altitude routes until conditions improve.
• Several flights at Leh were cancelled because of weather, delaying departures including the Dalai Lama’s planned return to Dharamshala.
• The weather bureau issued a red warning for Ladakh and cautioned about damage to mud houses, water seepage and localized landslides, while forecasting a brief dry window in Ladakh from August 27–30.
• Heavy rain across Jammu and Kashmir raised river levels and kept the Kishtwar–Sinthan–Anantnag road shut, and a roadside rescue near Drass involved Union minister Kiren Rijiju after a car plunged into the river.