Light rains lash Shimla town

Shimla, Aug 5 (UNI) Light rains lashed Shimla town and adjoining areas and other mid and lowers hill of Himachal Pradesh with the minimum and maximum temperatures rising during the last 24 hrs, the met office said.

Sharp showers in the afternoon caught the locals and the tourists unawares and made them scurry for cover in the historic Ridge Maidan and The Mall here, while reports of light showers were received from other parts of the state.

The met office said several places in the state received light showers overnight and early morning today with the sun playing hide and seek throughout the day.

Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded 6.7 mm rain followed by five mm at Kalpa in Kinnuar, 3.6 m at Bhuntar in Kullu district and 2.4 mm at Shimla town during the last 24 hrs, it said.

The sky was clear over the famous tourist resorts of Kullu and Manali during the day after a remaining under thin layer of clouds in the morning.

Following light showers in the state the minimum and maximum temperatures across the state rose by one to five degrees with the night temperature at Shimla rising to 16.2 degrees from yesterday's low of 15, while the day temperatures settled at 23.4 after recording 21.2 degrees yesterday.

The met office said the maximum at Sundernagar rose to 32.3 in comparison to yesterday's high of 27.7, while it stood at 32.7 degrees at Bhuntar from yesterday's 26.2 degrees.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded highest rise of seven degrees to 23.4 degrees in comparison to yesterday's high of 15.9, while the minimum temperature recorded a marginal increase to 10.2 from yesterday's 9.8 degree.

The minimum at Sundernagar and Bhuntar rose to 22 and 19.1 as against 21.3 and 18 degree Celsius recorded yesterday, the met office said.

It also predicted heavy showers at several places and light to moderate rains at many places in the state during the next 24 hrs.

UNI