Hails batter Shimla, upper reaches of Himachal receive snow

Director of Shimla meteorological department, Surender Paul, said Koksar in Lahaul and Spiti district experienced 17cm snow; added that Shimla received 19mm rainfall, Manali experienced 13mm while Bharmour and Kothi got 5mm rainfall each

People got some relief from the soaring temperatures in the hills as the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh experienced snowfall while plains received scattered rains.

Women walk with their umbrellas amid hail storm on The Ridge in Shimla on Tuesday. (Deepak Sansta/HT)

A severe thunderstorm accompanied by hailstones and lightning lashed Shimla and surrounding areas in the afternoon. Hailstorm was also reported from Dharamshala town.

The sudden turn in the weather conditions reduced the visibility considerably, which affected the traffic movement as roads became slippery and risky for driving in Shimla.

Rooftops and roads wore a white mantle briefly while the sky remained heavily forecast.

Icy winds also swept the region, bringing down the temperatures.

Snow has eluded Shimla this winter and temperatures had last week hovered about 10 degrees above normal.

Director of Shimla meteorological department, Surender Paul, said Koksar in Lahaul and Spiti district experienced 17cm snow. “Gondla recorded 12cm of snow, Kukumseri 9cm and the administrative headquarters of the tribal district experienced 6cm snow. Kufri, the famous hill station on the outskirts of Shimla, experienced 1.5cm snow,” he added.

Paul said that Shimla received 19mm rainfall, Manali experienced 13mm while Bharmour and Kothi got 5mm rainfall each.

Meanwhile, Keylong was the coldest place in the state with its night temperature plunging to -1.2⁰ Celsius, followed by Kukumseri (-0.1⁰C) and Kalpa (3⁰C).

State capital Shimla recorded a low of 8.4⁰C, while Dharamshala was a bit colder at 6.2⁰C. Manali and Kufri’s minimum temperature was 7.8⁰C each and Dalhousie saw a low of 8.3⁰C.

The MeT department has predicted dry weather for next three days.

A fresh spell of snow and rains is likely to start from February 25 as a fresh western disturbance becomes active over the region.