Stormy conditions persist in state

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 6

Stormy conditions prevailed in several parts of the state with scattered rains occurring at a few places. The maximum temperature dropped by a few notches.

The local MeT has warned of thunderstorm accompanied by squall and hailstorm at some places in the lower and mid hills from May 6 to May 8 keeping farmers and fruit growers on tenterhooks.

The MeT office also predicted thundershowers and rain in mid and lower hills and rain or snow in the higher hills till May 10. The rain has increased landslide threat in government residential colony for secretariat employees adjoining the state Secretariat in Chhota Shimla endangering 35 households.

Farmers and fruit growers are a worried lot as stormy conditions during May are harmful for standing wheat, apple and fruit crops.

The Agriculture Department had advised farmers to immediately harvest the standing wheat crop and refrain from storing the crop in the open.

Shimla and surrounding areas of Kufri and Fagu were lashed by high-velocity winds accompanied by intermittent showers and the sky remained heavily forest since early Sunday morning. Shimla received 9 mm rain, followed by Kufri 7 mm, Fagu 6 mm, Jhandutta 5 mm, Kalpa 4 mm, Kandaghat 3 mm, Dalhousie, Jhanjehli, Solan and Narkanda 2 mm. The state received 110 mm rain against normal rainfall of 189.9 mm from March 1 to May 6 and the rain deficit has come down to 42 per cent.

The freak weather has also hit tourism and a fall in weekend tourists was noticed.

The minimum temperature decreased by 4 to 5 degrees during the past 24 hours and Keylong was the coldest at night with a low of 3.7°C while Kalpa and Manali recorded minimum temperatures at 4.6°C and 6.4°C, followed by Bhuntar 12.5 °C, Shimla 12.8 °C, Solan 15.5 °C, Nahan 15.8 °C, Sundernagar 15.9 °C, Palampur 18.5 °C, Dharamsala 19.5 °C and Una 22.6 °C.

The day temperatures also dropped by a few notches and Una was the warmest with a high of 35.6 °C while Nahan and Sundernagar registered maximum temperature at 29.2 °C and 29.1 °C, followed by Dharamsala 25.6 °C,Palampur 25.3 °C, Bhuntar 21.6 °C, Solan 21.0 °C, Shimla 19.5 °C, Manali 16.6 °C, Kalpa 12.2 °C and Keylong 9.4 °C.

Farmers a worried lot 

• Farmers and fruit growers are a worried lot as stormy conditions during May are harmful for standing wheat, apple and fruit crops.
• The Agriculture Department had advised farmers to immediately harvest the standing wheat crop and refrain from storing the crop in the open.
• Shimla and surrounding areas of Kufri and Fagu were lashed by high-velocity winds accompanied by intermittent showers and the sky remained heavily forest since early Sunday morning.