Mercury on rise in Himachal, Una sizzles at 44℃

Shimla: Amid a heatwave alert, the maximum and minimum temperatures soared in the low and mid hills of Himachal Pradesh with Una sizzling at 44℃, the highest day temperature recorded in the state on Wednesday.According to the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, maximum temperatures remained 3 to 5 degrees above normal at many stations.Sundernagar in Mandi recorded a maximum of 39.2℃, Kangra 39℃, Nahan and Mandi 38.3℃ each, and Solan 36.5℃. Even the state capital, Shimla, witnessed an unusually warm day at 30.5℃ — 5.5 degrees above normal.In the higher reaches, Keylong recorded a maximum of 21.3℃ while Kalpa registered 25.5℃.The weather department said no rainfall was recorded at most stations during the day, allowing dry and hot conditions to prevail across the region.The weather department has advised people, particularly children and the elderly, to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight during peak afternoon hours as temperatures continue to remain abnormally high in several districts.The minimum temperatures in most parts of Himachal Pradesh also remained above normal on Wednesday.Palampur recorded a minimum of 23.5℃, which was 5.1 degrees above normal, while Shimla settled at 20.5℃, five notches above normal. Dharamshala recorded a minimum temperature of 21.2℃ — 2 degrees above normal, whereas the night temperature in Bilaspur was recorded at 24℃ — 3.6 degrees above normal.Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti district was the coldest place in the state with a minimum of 5.6℃, followed by Keylong at 5.8℃. Kalpa recorded a minimum temperature of 8.8℃, while Manali registered a minimum of 11.8℃ — 2.2 degrees above normal.The weather department has issued a heatwave alert in districts including Una, Shimla, Solan and Kangra for Thursday as well. The department has also issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms in parts of Chamba district.Highway Reopened (Box)The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has reopened the Gramphu-Kaza-Sumdo highway via the Kunzum Pass. The highway to the Spiti valley, which gets closed annually during the winter due to heavy snowfall, has been reopened after a gap of around six months. An official informed that the highway had been reopened for only the 4x4 vehicles. It may be mentioned that the road from Manali to Rohtang Pass, a major tourist attraction, has also been reopened.MSID:: 131227696 413 |