Rain, snow bring relief; Rohtang tourists caught in storm

Shimla: Light to moderate rainfall in the low and mid hills and light snowfall in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh brought temperatures down across the state on Friday, providing much-needed relief from the scorching heat.It rained in parts of Kullu, Mandi, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Kangra, Una, Shimla and Chamba districts, while the high-altitude areas received snowfall.Many tourists were caught in a snowstorm that swept across Rohtang Pass on Friday morning, while several vehicles, mostly taxis, were stranded on the road following sudden snowfall.According to the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, the average maximum temperature across Himachal dropped by 6.3°C during the past 24 hours.Bhuntar recorded the steepest fall with a drop of 11.7°C as the maximum temperature settled at 24.1°C. Manali saw a decline of 9.8°C with the day temperature settling at 18.8°C, while Manali recorded 18.8°C after a fall of 9.8°C. Sundernagar registered a drop of 8.7°C, with the maximum temperature settling at 31.2°C. Shimla also witnessed a fall of 5.5°C as the maximum temperature remained at 25°C. Mandi, Solan and Kangra recorded maximum temperatures of 31°C, 30°C and 33.3°C, respectively, after notable declines.Una remained the hottest place in the state at 38°C — a drop of 6.3°C in 24 hours, followed by Nahan at 36.7°C and Dharamshala at 35°C.Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 5.7°C on Friday.Meanwhile, the weather department issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and gusty winds in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts on May 23.MSID:: 131263927 413 |