Heavy rains, squall leave many areas sans power

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 5

Normal life was hit in several areas in middle and lower hills of the state as squall, accompanied by lightning and heavy rains, lashed the region, uprooting trees, blowing off roofs of kutcha houses and disrupting power supply.

The night-long lightning and thunderstorm kept people on the tenterhooks and disruption of power supply added to their miseries.

The local MeT office has issued yellow warning for heavy rain, thunderstorm and lightning in lower and middle hills on July 8 and 9, thundershowers and rains at many places in middle and lower hills from July 6 to July 10 and rains or snow at many places in upper reaches.

Widespread rainfall was reported in the region during which Dharampur and Palampur recorded 54mm and 50mm rain, followed by Dharamsala 48mm, Mehre 43mm, Nagrota Suriyan 42mm, Jatton Barrage 41mm, Kufri 38mm, Baijnath and Aghar 37mm, Gaggal 36mm, Shimla, Una and Jogindernagar 32mm each, Nadaun 31mm, Manali and Bharari 25mm, Mandi and Naina Devi 24mm, Kothi 23mm, Sundernagar 22mm and Solan 21mm.

The minimum temperatures plummeted and Keylong was coldest with a low of 7.5°C, followed by Kalpa 10.4°C, Manali 11.8°C and Shimla 13.6°C. The day temperatures also dropped by two to three degree and Una was hottest in the region with a high of 34.4°C, five degree below normal.