Shimla

Several parts of Himachal Pradesh experienced light to moderate rainfall and snowfall over the past 24 hours, leading to a noticeable drop in both day and night temperatures.

According to the India Meteorological Department, an orange warning has been issued for hailstorms in multiple districts on April 7 and 8, with the possibility of thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds.

Higher altitude regions such as Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu witnessed fresh snowfall. Gondla recorded the highest snowfall at 13 cm, while Hansa and Keylong received 7.5 cm each. Koksar saw 3 cm of snow, and light snowfall was also reported near the Atal Tunnel.

Rainfall activity was widespread across the state. Sarahan recorded the highest rainfall at 32.7 mm, closely followed by Dharamshala with 32.2 mm. Other areas such as Kasauli, Manali, Bilaspur, Kalpa, Palampur, Sundernagar and Shimla also received varying amounts of precipitation.

The weather office has warned of hailstorms, thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 40–50 kmph in districts including Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla during the alert period.

Meteorologists have attributed the conditions to an approaching western disturbance expected to impact northwest India from midweek, bringing a prolonged wet spell across the state till April 10.

Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning were reported in several areas, including Shimla, Sundernagar, Bhuntar, Jot and Kangra. Meanwhile, strong winds, with speeds ranging between 39 and 59 kmph, were observed in Seobagh, Sundernagar, Tabo and Neri.

The recent weather activity has led to a drop in temperatures, with minimum temperatures falling by 2–5 degrees Celsius and maximum temperatures declining by 2–8 degrees at several locations. Tabo recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 0.6 degrees Celsius.

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Despite the recent precipitation, Himachal Pradesh has recorded a rainfall deficit of around 12 per cent during the pre-monsoon season so far, receiving 105.5 mm of rain against the normal 120.5 mm between March 1 and April 4.