Light snow, rain lower temps across Himachal

Kullu: Providing relief from surging heat, parts of the high, mid, and low hills of Himachal Pradesh received light rainfall on Friday amid an orange alert issued by the weather department. Precipitation occurred in isolated areas of Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur, Kangra, and Chamba districts, while light snowfall was recorded in high-altitude regions.According to the District Disaster Management Authority, seven roads, including Koksar to Rohtang Pass, Darcha to Sarchu, and Gramphu to Batal, remained blocked. This rain pushed maximum temperatures down at various places.As per the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, Sundernagar recorded 28.2°C, 2.2 degrees below normal; Mandi saw 27.7°C, 6.5 degrees below normal; and Bhuntar reached 22.4°C, 4.9 degrees below normal. Manali recorded 18°C, which was 4.1 degrees below normal. Shimla recorded 23°C, 1.3 degrees above normal, while Dharamshala reached 28°C, 0.8 degrees above normal. Una recorded the highest temperature at 34.8°C, 0.5 degrees below normal. Keylong in Lahaul Spiti recorded the lowest minimum of 2.5°C. Between April 1 and 17, the state recorded 57.6 mm of rain, 52% higher than the normal 37.9 mm. Meanwhile, the Met forecast suggests light rain and snow are likely in isolated parts on April 18 and 19. A yellow alert for thunderstorms, gusty winds, and lightning has been issued for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts for those dates. MSID:: 130334071 413 |