Winter makes a comeback: Thunder squall in Shimla, fresh snowfall in high hill areas

A thunder squall followed by hailstorm hit Shimla and its surrounding areas while fresh snowfall was witnessed in high hills and tribal areas brought the cold wave conditions across the state.

The lower reaches witnessed rains which brought the temperature down.Shimla was lashed by thunder squall, followed by hailstorm, disrupting normal life.

The town was covered with a thick carpet of hail and skidding of vehicles led to disruptions in vehicular traffic.

The day temperature plummeted and sky remained heavily overcast.

The high altitude tribal areas and other higher hills and mountain passes on Thursday witnessed another spell of fresh snowfall while mid and lower hills had rains.

Kothi recorded 40 cm, followed by Kalpa 23 cm, Udaipur and Khadrala 13 cm, Gondola 10 cm, Manali 7 cm and Keylong 6 cm of rains. 

The lower and mid hills witnessed rains, and Jogindernagar was the wettest place in the region with 38 mm rains, followed by Dharamsala and Manali 34 mm, Mehre 30 mm, Kotkhai 29 mm, Dalhousie 28 mm, Palampur 27 mm, Seobagh 26 mm, Salooni 25 mm, Bhuntar 23 mm, Bajaura and Pandoh 19 mm, Guler 16 mm Rekong Peo 16 mm and Shimla 15 mm of rains.

The maximum day temperature plummeted from 26.8 degrees Celsius to 17.4 deg C while Nahan recorded a high of 22.2 deg C, followed by Una 17.4 deg C, Dharmshala 17.2 deg C, Solan 16 deg C, Sundernagar 11.4 deg C, Shimla 11.1 deg C, Bhuntar 11 deg C, Manali 4.8 deg C and Kalpa 4.4 degrees Celsius.

There was no significant change in the minimum temperatures and Keylong was coldest with a low of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Kalpa minus 1.6 deg C, Manali minus 0.8 deg C, Shimla 3 deg C, Bhuntar 4.2 deg C, Solan 4.6 deg C, Palampur 5.5 deg C, Sundernagar 5.9 deg C, Nahan 7.7 deg C, Dharamsala 8.4 deg C, and Una 9.8 deg C.

The local MeT office has warned of thunder squall and hailstorm at isolated places in lower and mid hills tomorrow and rains and thunderstorm in mid and lower hills and snowfall or rains in higher hills over next four days.