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Himachal basks in warmth of mellow sunshine; Punjab and Haryana fogged out
The weather is cosy these days in the hills of Himachal Pradesh compared to the plains of Punjab and Haryana where the fog is screening out the sun.
The weather is cosy these days in the hills of Himachal Pradesh compared to the plains of Punjab and Haryana where the fog is screening out the sun.
The hill state is receiving regular sunshine for a longer duration. The weather in tourist resorts of Shimla, Kufri, Narkanda, Kasauli, Chail, Dharamshala, Palampur and Manali is warm and perfect for a break from the biting chill of the plains where the sun has largely been fogged out.
“What a mellow sunshine in Shimla!” remarked Kriti Aggarwal, a tourist from Delhi. She said it was a relief from the fog and smog in the national capital.
Her friend, Kanika Gupta, said: “For hours, we are relaxing and basking in the sun. Even nights here are comfortable compared to the plains.”
Manmohan Singh, the director of Shimla’s meteorological department, said on Monday that most of the hill destinations have a pleasant weather owing to long sunny days compared to the plains.
“The maximum temperature in the hills is two-three degrees below average but due to sunny days, the temperature will see a rise and be normal in a day or two,” he said.
Dry weather will prevail in the state till December 31. He ruled out the possibility of snow and rain across the state.
Humidity level of over 80% causes fog. In the hills, it’s around 50% at present.
In Shimla, 7,000 feet above sea level, the maximum temperature on Sunday was 13.8 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was 3.6 degrees on Monday.
The night temperature in Dharamsala was 2.6 degrees Celsius, whereas Manali saw a low of minus three degrees.
At 14.3 degrees below freezing point, Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district was the coldest in the state.
Kalpa, 250 km from the state capital, saw a low of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius.
CHANDIGARH COLDER THAN SHIMLA
In Chandigarh, the maximum temperature was 0.6 degrees Celsius less than Shimla’s on Sunday, with the minimum hovering around 9 degrees Celsius.
The meteorological office in Chandigarh predicted foggy conditions to continue in the city till Wednesday.
The prevailing maximum temperature in Chandigarh is seven degrees below the season’s average due to cloudy conditions and shallow fog.
Chandigarh’s meteorological department said dense fog is likely to continue in Punjab and Haryana till Wednesday.
