‘38.8°C in Mandi, 38.4°C in Kangra’: Hills feel the heat as max temp shoots up

Kullu: Heatwave conditions intensified across several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, with the mercury soaring well above normal in the mid and low hill areas, even as the weather department issued orange and yellow alerts for May 22. Una remained the hottest place in the state at 44.3 degrees Celsius, 5.8 degrees above normal, followed by Neri in Hamirpur, which recorded 41 degrees Celsius, and Sundernagar touched 39.9 degrees Celsius. Mandi, Nahan and Kangra also witnessed sweltering conditions, with maximum temperatures of 38.8 degrees, 38.7 degrees and 38.4 degrees C, respectively. According to the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, maximum temperatures across most stations were 4 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal. Dry weather prevailed across the state in the past 24 hours, with no rainfall recorded anywhere in the state.Shimla recorded a maximum temperature of 30.5 degrees Celsius, 5.5 degrees above normal, Dharamshala touched 36.1 degrees Celsius, 4.3 degrees above normal, and Manali recorded a maximum temperature of 28.6 degrees C, 2.9 degrees above normal.The minimum temperatures also remained above normal at most places in the state. Palampur recorded a minimum temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, 6.5 degrees above normal, and Shimla registered 20.6 degrees Celsius, 4.7 degrees above normal. Kukumseri in Lahaul Spiti district was the coldest place in the state at 6.2 degrees Celsius.Meanwhile, the Met issued an orange alert for thunderstorms, hail, gusty winds and lightning in parts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts, and a yellow alert in the rest of the districts except Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti on May 22. MSID: 131247548 413 |