Dry weather in HP after heavy snowfall

Shimla, Feb 9 (UNI) Dry weather prevailed in Himachal Pradesh today after experiencing heavy snowfall in all the high and mid hills and widespread rains in the lower parts of the state for the last seven days.

The sky was mainly clear across Himachal, barring Shimla town where sun played hide and seek throughout the day, allowing the state administration to evacuate people stranded at various parts of the state.

Seven people stuck up at Gulabghar in the adjoining state of Jammu and Kashmir were flown to Udhampur and later reached Jogindernagar in Mandi district via road, while a helicopter airlifted four patients in a single flight from Jaspa Singla village in the tribal district of Lahaul Spiti to Bhuntar in Kullu district today, official sources said.

The clear blue sky greeted the entire tribal districts of Lahaul Spiti, Kinnuar, Kullu, Chamba and Kangra in the lower part of the state today and the respective district administrations said they have initiated steps to restore traffic by clearing snow on the roads.

PWD workers were also pressed into service to restore traffic on the National Highway No 22 beyond Dhalli, which had been closed for last few days following heavy snowfall in the region.

The met office said the town had not received report of snow and rain from any part of the state since last night, while the state capital recorded 8.5 cm of snow during the day yesterday.

Kalpa had recorded 12 cm, Manali, one of the famous tourist resort of the hill state, 10 cm and three mm of rain, Keylong five cm snow, while Sundernagar recorded 10.6 mm rain during the whole day yesterday.

Meanwhile, minimum temperatures plummeted appreciably in several places in the high and mid hills, including Shimla town, which recorded a night temperature of minus 1.2 as against minus point six recorded yesterday.

Similarly, the minimum temperature at Sundernagar fell to 1.6 from 5.1 degree Celsius which was recorded yesterday, while Bhuntar recorded a night temperature of 3.6 as against 5.6 degree Celsius.

Kalpa recorded a night temperature of minus 7.2, Una 1.8, Manali point three and Mandi town minus two degrees, while Keylong, district headquarter of Lahaul Spiti, recorded a low of minus 11.3 degree Celsius.

The met office has predicted mainly clear sky in the state during the next 24 hrs.

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