Shimla, April 4 Light to moderate rain and snowfall were observed in several areas of Himachal Pradesh, resulting in a decrease in both minimum and maximum temperatures.
The Shimla Meteorological Office issued an orange warning on Saturday for hailstorms in four to five districts on April 7 and 8.
In the higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu, fresh snowfall was reported over the past 24 hours since Friday evening. Gondla received 13 cm of snow, followed by Hansa and Keylong with 7.5 cm each, and Koksar with 3 cm. Light snow also fell at the Atal Tunnel on Friday night.
Intermittent rain was recorded in various parts of the state. Sarahan received 32.7 mm of rainfall, followed closely by Dharamshala with 32.2 mm, Kasauli with 23 mm, Manali with 17 mm, Bilaspur with 13.4 mm, Kalpa with 10.4 mm, Palampur with 8.6 mm, Sundernagar with 8.5 mm, and Shimla with 8 mm.
The Met Office has issued an orange alert for hailstorms, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds with speeds of 40 to 50 km/h in the Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect Northwest India starting Wednesday. It also predicted a wet spell in the state till April 10.
Thunderstorms and lightning lashed Shimla, Sundernagar, Bhuntar, Jot and Kangra, while gusty winds with speeds ranging between 39 and 59 kmph swept Seobagh, Sundernagar, Tabo and Neri.
Minimum and maximum temperatures saw a drop of 2-5 degrees and 2-8 degrees Celsius, respectively, at many stations. Tabo, with a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius, was the coldest at night.
During the pre-monsoon season from March 1 to April 4, Himachal Pradesh received 105.5 mm of rain, compared to the normal rainfall of 120.5 mm, resulting in a 12 per cent deficit.