Shimla, April 8 Several high-altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh experienced fresh snowfall on Wednesday, while moderate to heavy rains lashed the mid and lower hills, bringing down temperatures.
The local MeT department has issued a yellow warning for light to moderate rain at isolated places, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph in parts of Mandi, Kullu and Shimla districts on Wednesday, officials said.
Rohtang Pass, the tribal areas of Lahaul and Spiti, and Kufri on the outskirts of Shimla town were among the places that received fresh snowfall, while the Shikari Mata temple in Mandi district, located at an altitude of 11,000 ft, also witnessed intermittent snow, which is unusual in the month of April, they said.
Orchardists and farmers expressed concern over the weather, saying snowfall and stormy conditions during April would damage apple and stone fruits as well as standing wheat ready for harvest.
Gondla and Kufri recorded 4 cm and 1.4 cm of snowfall, respectively, with Rohtang Pass and Shikari Mata temple covered in a white carpet.
Moderate to heavy rainfall was recorded in most parts of the state, with Sangrah receiving 65 mm, followed by Rajgarh 60 mm and Chauri 52.6 mm.
Minimum temperatures dropped by a few notches, with Tabo recording the lowest at 0.1 degrees, followed by Kukumseri at 0.6 degrees and Kalpa at 3 degrees.