Rain lashes Himachal; storm alert

Tribune News Service
Shimla/Dharamsala, June 10

Moderate to heavy rain lashed the state on Thursday. Una recorded a minimum temperature of 31°C, which was the highest-ever. The previous highest minimum temperature in Una (30.2°C) was recorded on June 11, 2013.

The local Met office has issued yellow warning of thundershowers and lightning and orange warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in low and middle hills in seven to 10 districts namely Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur for the next three days and predicted a wet spell in the region till June 16.

Kangra was the wettest in the state with 103 mm of rainfall, followed by Palampur (92 mm); Paonta Sahib (75.5 mm); Jogindernagar (55.5 mm); Dharamsala (55 mm); Arki and Malan (44 mm each); Shahpur (38 mm); Sundernagar, Kandaghat and Baldwara (17 mm each); Sarkaghat (16 mm); Dharampur (15 mm); Wangtoo (13 mm); Jubbar Hatti and Shimla (11 mm each) and Solan (10 mm).

There was no significant change in the minimum temperatures and Keylong was the coldest at night at 11.6°C. The maximum temperatures fell by 2°C to 3°C and Una was the hottest at 39°C.

Meanwhile, heavy rain and thunderstorm lashed Dharamsala on Thursday, bringing down temperature in the region. In the past two days, the day temperature had soared to 34°C.

Power cuts were witnessed in several areas of Dharamsala. Showers have brought cheer to the farmers of the region, who had been preparing to grow paddy just before the onset of monsoon.