Snow, rain in Himachal; MeT issues orange warning for hailstorms

Shimla: Light to moderate rain and snowfall were observed in several areas of Himachal Pradesh, resulting in a decrease in both minimum and maximum temperatures.

The Shimla Meteorological Office issued an orange warning on Saturday for hailstorms in four to five districts on April 7 and 8.

In the higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu, fresh snowfall was witnessed over the past 24 hours since Friday evening. Gondla received 13 cm of snow, followed by Hansa and Keylong with 7.5 cm each, and Koksar with 3 cm.

Mild snowfall was also seen at the Atal Tunnel on Friday night.

Intermittent rain was recorded in various parts of the state. Dharamshala received 39.2 mm of rain, followed by 36 mm in Manali, 32.7 mm in Sarahan, 23 mm in Kasauli, 22.5 mm in Sundernagar, 18.2 mm in Kalpa, 13.4 mm each in Mandi and Bilaspur, 11.4 mm in Bhuntar and 10 mm in Shimla.

The Met office issued an orange alert for hailstorms, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds with speeds of 40 to 50 kmph in the Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India starting Wednesday. The weather department also predicted a wet spell in the state till April 10.

Thunderstorms and lightning lashed Shimla, Sundernagar, Bhuntar, Jot and Kangra, while gusty winds with speeds ranging between 39 and 59 kmph swept Seobagh, Sundernagar, Tabo and Neri.

Minimum and maximum temperatures saw a drop of 2-5 degrees and 2-8 degrees Celsius, respectively, at many stations. Tabo, with a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius was the coldest at night while Una with a high of 30.6 degrees Celsius was the hottest during the day.

During the pre-monsoon season from March 1 to April 4, Himachal Pradesh received 105.5 mm of rain, compared to the normal rainfall of 120.5 mm, resulting in a 12 per cent deficit.