Fresh snowfall in HP

Shimla: The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh received snowfall for the second day on Monday, leading to a dip in the minimum temperature. Gondhla and Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district received 5 cm and 4 cm of snow respectively, officials said.

Intermittent rains lashed parts of the state and Guler received 42 mm of rain since Sunday evening followed by Nagrota Suriyan 38.4 mm, Bharwain 37 mm, Dehra Gopipur 35 mm, Pachhad 34.2 mm, Aghar 32.8 mm, Nadaun 28 mm and Murari Devi 27 mm.

Thunderstorms were witnessed in Jot, Murari Devi, Sundernagar, Bhunter, Kangra, Palampur and Shimla, while gusty winds with speed ranging between 41 and 57 kmph swept Hamirpur, Narkanda, Kufri, Bajaura, Reckong Peo, Tabo and Kotkhai. Strong active western disturbance would impact the state for the next two days and intermittent rains are expected in all the districts with possibility of heavy rains in Kangra and Chamba district and snow in Lahaul and Spiti district, Director, Shimla MeT office, Kuldeep Srivastav, said.

The minimum and maximum temperatures have also witnessed a significant drop with Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti recording a low of 0.1 degrees Celsius. The weather would remain mainly dry from October 9, he added.

The weather office has issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rains accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds (40-50kmph) in four districts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi and heavy to very heavy rain or snow in Lahaul and Spiti on Monday.

It also issued a yellow warning of heavy rain and snow accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds in isolated areas of Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Lahaul and Spiti on Tuesday.