Unusually heavy snowfall has carpeted areas around the Kedarnath shrine in a foot-and-a-half-deep snow ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit on Wednesday morning to offer Diwali prayers at the famed Shiva temple.

The helipad has been closed since Saturday and night temperatures are down to -5°C.

The weather office on Sunday forecast hailstorms at some places in Uttarakhand on Monday and advised the administration to stop tourists from visiting the hills and put rescue teams on high alert. The Kedarnath shrine is located at an altitude of 3,583m.

Met officials are hoping the conditions would improve by Tuesday.

A member of the Kedarnath Reconstruction Project, which is rebuilding the town after the devastation caused by cloudbursts in 2013, said the helipad was under 1.5ft snow and would take seven to eight hours to clear after the weather improves.

“For the tourists, the snowfall may be an attraction but it is deepening our worries. The Prime Minister is expected here at 9am (on Wednesday) and is scheduled to leave at 11am,” he said.

The heavy snowfall since Friday, attributed to a “western disturbance”, has forced the shrine authorities to stop the cleaning operation that was under way in preparation for Modi’s visit.

Uttarakhand’s hills often witness a little snowfall in October-November but it usually melts by morning.

Heavy snowfall has been reported from all areas above 3,000 metres, state weather office director Vikram Singh said.

Much against the advice of the Met department, the foot pilgrims to Kedarnath have continued their journey. The local administration has deployed labourers round the clock on the highway to keep shovelling snow off the roads.

A cold breeze and rainfall has, however, made the weather pleasant in the plains, which include state capital Dehradun.

Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said Modi was expected to inspect the development projects in Kedarnath.

A wall is being built on the banks of the Mandakini to prevent water entering the residential areas. Two roads are being constructed around the temple and ghats on the Saraswati’s banks.