Mercury up in Himachal, more snow next week

The hills of Himachal Pradesh on Friday saw a rise in the temperatures due to prevailing dry weather, but the Met Office has forecast more rain and snowfall next week.

"A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect the Western Himalayan region on February 20 with chances of rainfall and snowfall in the state," an office statement said.

The Western Disturbances are storm systems originating from the Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

Most of the prominent tourist towns -- Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Kalpa and Manali -- had experienced snow on Monday and Tuesday.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest in the state on Friday with minus 6.5 degrees Celsius.

The state capital recorded the minimum temperature at 7.3 degrees Celsius, while it was minus 1 degree Kalpa in Kinnaur district, 1.8 degrees in Manali, 7.7 degrees in Dalhousie and 7.8 degrees at Dharamsala.

--IANS

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