Heavy Rains, Snowfall Likely In Mid And Higher Reaches Of Himachal From Feb 28 Onwards

Mid and higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh are likely to receive rain and snowfall due to a western disturbance from February 28 onwards, according to the Meteorological (MeT) Department. 

The western disturbance is likely to affect the Western Himalayan region from Tuesday onwards. The local MeT office has issued a yellow warning of heavy rainfall and snowfall in Mandi, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Shimla and Lahaul and Spiti districts on March 1 and thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places over low and mid hills on February 28.  

The weather will remain dry in lower hills and plains on February 26 and 27 and light to moderate rainfall may occur on February 28 and March 1, the MeT office predicted.  

Maximum day temperatures stayed six to nine degrees above normal in the hilly state with Una being the hottest with a high of 32.4 degrees, 8.5 degrees above normal.  Meanwhile, Shimla, Dharamshala and Kalpa recorded a high of 19.6 degrees, 26.0 degrees and 14.0 degrees which were 7.4 degrees, 8.2 degrees and 7.6 degrees above normal.  

The state received 116.8 mm of rain from January 1 to February 25 against normal rainfall of 172.2 mm, a deficit of 32 per cent and all twelve districts received deficit rains between 9 per cent in Kullu and 58 per cent in Mandi.  

The minimum temperatures stayed marginally above normal and Keylong and Kusumseri in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district recorded a low of minus 7.2 degrees and minus 5.1 degrees, followed by Kalpa at 1.4 degrees, Manali at 3.4 degrees and Narkanda at 4.4 degrees.