Rain brings relief from heat across Himachal Pradesh; IMD issues thunderstorm alert for 10 districts
PTC Web Desk: Several parts of Himachal Pradesh, including the state capital Shimla, witnessed rainfall on Saturday morning, bringing much-needed relief from the rising temperatures. In Shimla, the rain continued for nearly three hours, while strong winds and heavy showers were also reported in many areas on Friday night.
The changing weather affected power supply in some regions. In Sujanpur’s Chamiyana area, a high-tension electricity line was damaged due to strong winds. Kangra district also experienced a power outage for nearly two hours on Saturday morning following the storm.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pandoh recorded the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours at 37.4 mm. Other areas that received significant rainfall include Naina Devi with 34.6 mm, Guler 25.8 mm, Kangra 20.5 mm, Sundernagar 20.3 mm and Gohar 20 mm.
Rainfall was also recorded in Murari Devi, Una, Jot, Sarahan, Dehra Gopipur, Kotkhai and Shimla.
The showers have led to a sharp fall in temperatures across the state. Shimla’s minimum temperature, which was recorded at 20 degrees Celsius on May 28, dropped to 11.5 degrees Celsius on Friday. Similarly, Kangra’s minimum temperature came down from 21.5 degrees Celsius to 17 degrees Celsius.
A noticeable decline in maximum temperatures has also been recorded. Kufri witnessed the steepest drop of 6.3 degrees Celsius, bringing the daytime temperature down to 17.8 degrees Celsius. Dharamshala, Shimla, Manali and Kangra also saw temperatures fall by around 4 to 5 degrees Celsius.
The IMD has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and strong winds in 10 districts of Himachal Pradesh, excluding Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. Wind speeds of up to 50 kmph are expected in some areas.
The weather department has predicted that the unsettled weather conditions are likely to continue on May 31 as well, with chances of light rainfall in several parts of the state. While the western disturbance may weaken from June 1, light rain is still expected in mid and higher hill regions till June 2.
Light drizzle is also likely in the higher reaches on June 3 and 4, which is expected to keep temperatures pleasant and provide relief from the heat over the next few days.
- With inputs from agencies
