Traffic on National Highway-5 between Shimla and Kalka was hit on Friday after a landslide in Dharampur area of Solan district. Movement on this stretch was already down to a single lane due to earlier restrictions.
Around 4 pm, debris slid down the hillside and shut the only motorable lane, eyewitness said. Traffic built up quickly on both sides of the blocked stretch.
A team from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) reached the spot to clear debris and reopen the road. A video showing debris rolling down the slope is being shared widely on social media.
The Shimla meteorological office has forecast wet spells in isolated parts of Himachal Pradesh on Saturday and Sunday, and again on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
A fresh weak western disturbance is expected to affect the western Himalayas from April 15.
The weather office has issued a warning for thunderstorm accompanied by lightning, and gusty winds up to 30 kmph in isolated parts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts on Saturday.
Light rain was recorded across parts of the state in the 24 hours since Thursday evening.
Guler saw the highest rainfall at 10.6 mm, followed by Jot 10 mm, Kangra 9.6 mm, Kataula 9.2 mm, Khadrala 6.4 mm, Rohru 6 mm, Mandi 5.4 mm, and Dharamshala 5.2 mm.
Hail was reported in Shilaroo in Shimla, while thunderstorms were recorded in Kangra, Bhuntar, Sundernagar, Shimla and Jubberhatti. Shallow fog was seen in Sundernagar.
Keylong recorded the coldest night at minus 1 degree Celsius, while Una touched 28.4 degrees Celsius during the day. Reports of fresh landslides have also come in from Summerhill and Kuftadhar areas of Shimla.
Three houses in Kuftadhar on the outskirts of Shimla are under risk after a landslide, which officials said may have been triggered by hillside cutting for an under-construction house downhill.
Work at the site has been stopped. The owner has been issued a notice to build a retaining wall, officials said. At Summerhill, a retaining wall collapsed, raising concern among residents about a possible landslide.
