Shimla: Amid a heatwave alert, maximum and minimum temperatures soared across the low and mid hills of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday. Una recorded the highest day temperature in the state at a scorching 44 degrees Celsius.
Temperature Details Across Himachal
According to the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, maximum temperatures remained 3 to 5 degrees above normal at many stations. Sundernagar in Mandi recorded a maximum of 39.2 degrees Celsius, Kangra 39 degrees, Nahan and Mandi 38.3 degrees each, and Solan 36.5 degrees Celsius. Even the state capital, Shimla, witnessed an unusually warm day at 30.5 degrees Celsius, which is 5.5 degrees above normal.
In the higher reaches, Keylong recorded a maximum of 21.3 degrees Celsius while Kalpa registered 25.5 degrees Celsius.
Dry Conditions Prevail
The weather department reported that no rainfall was recorded at most stations during the day, allowing dry and hot conditions to prevail across the region. The department has advised people, particularly children and the elderly, to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight during peak afternoon hours as temperatures continue to remain abnormally high in several districts.
Minimum Temperatures Above Normal
Minimum temperatures in most parts of Himachal Pradesh also remained above normal on Wednesday. Palampur recorded a minimum of 23.5 degrees Celsius, which was 5.1 degrees above normal, while Shimla settled at 20.5 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal. Dharamshala recorded a minimum temperature of 21.2 degrees Celsius, 2 degrees above normal, whereas the night temperature in Bilaspur was recorded at 24 degrees Celsius, 3.6 degrees above normal.
Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti district was the coldest place in the state with a minimum of 5.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Keylong at 5.8 degrees Celsius. Kalpa recorded a minimum temperature of 8.8 degrees Celsius, while Manali registered a minimum of 11.8 degrees Celsius, which is 2.2 degrees above normal.
Heatwave Alert and Forecast
The weather department has issued a heatwave alert for districts including Una, Shimla, Solan, and Kangra for Thursday as well. The department has also issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms in parts of Chamba district.
Highway Reopened
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has reopened the Gramphu-Kaza-Sumdo highway via the Kunzum Pass. The highway to the Spiti valley, which gets closed annually during winter due to heavy snowfall, has been reopened after a gap of around six months. An official informed that the highway has been reopened for only 4x4 vehicles. It may be mentioned that the road from Manali to Rohtang Pass, a major tourist attraction, has also been reopened.
