Sunday, 05 April 2026
Sunday, 05 April 2026
Several areas of Himachal Pradesh received light to moderate rain and snowfall on Saturday, while a hailstorm hit the state capital Shimla, lowering temperatures.
The Shimla Meteorological Office issued an orange warning for hailstorms in four to five districts on April 7 and 8. The weather department predicted a wet spell across the state until April 10.
Rainfall followed by a heavy hailstorm struck Shimla on Saturday night, covering the city with a thin layer of sleet within minutes. Fresh snowfall was recorded in the higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu over the past 24 hours.
Gondla recorded 13 cm of snow, Hansa and Keylong 7.5 cm each, and Koksar 3 cm. Snowfall was also reported at the south portal of the Atal Tunnel and nearby areas in the suburbs of Manali.
About 1,000 stranded vehicles were rescued and diverted towards Manali by the police. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Manali, KD Sharma said, “Our priority is to ensure that no tourist or local resident suffers any loss of life or property.”
Intermittent rain was reported across the state. Dharamshala recorded 39.2 mm of rain, Manali 36 mm, Sarahan 32.7 mm, Kasauli 23 mm, Sundernagar 22.5 mm, Kalpa 18.2 mm, Mandi and Bilaspur 13.4 mm each, Bhuntar 11.4 mm, and Shimla 10 mm.
The Met office issued an orange alert for hailstorms, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thunderstorms and lightning were reported in Shimla, Sundernagar, Bhuntar, Jot, and Kangra. Gusty winds of 39-59 kmph were recorded in Seobagh, Sundernagar, Tabo, and Neri.
Minimum and maximum temperatures fell by 2-5 degrees and 2-8 degrees Celsius at several stations. Tabo recorded the lowest night temperature at 0.6 degrees Celsius, while Una recorded the highest daytime temperature at 30.6 degrees Celsius.
Between March 1 and April 4, Himachal Pradesh received 105.5 mm of rain, compared to the normal 120.5 mm, a 12 per cent deficit. A fresh western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India from Wednesday.
