Hailstorm, heavy rains pound Shimla, surrounding areas

Shimla and its surrounding areas were lashed by heavy rains accompanied by a powerful hailstorm which disrupted normal life.
The state capital received 26 mm rain in about half an hour, flooding roads and forcing people indoors. The maximum temperature which rose to 24.5 degrees Celsius during the day dropped after the hailstorm.
Barring scattered rains at some places, the weather remained dry. Dharamsala was the wettest with 32 mm rains, followed by 26 mm in Shimla, 16 mm in Pachhad and 9 mm in Gaggal.
Day temperatures rose marginally in the lower hills and Una was the hottest at 35 degrees Celsius, followed by Bhuntar 33.2 degrees, Sundernagar 32.8 degrees, Solan 29.5 degrees, Nahan 27.7 degrees, Dharamshala 27.2 degrees, Shimla 24.5 degrees, Manali 23.6 degrees and Kalpa 23 degrees.

The minimum temperatures remained steady and Manali was coldest with a low of 9.2 degrees. Kalpa and Keylong recorded a low of 9.8 degrees Celsius and 10.7 degrees Celsius, followed by Shimla at 14.7 degrees, Dharamsala 16.6 degrees, Palampur 17.5 degrees, Bhuntar 18 degrees, Solan 18.5 degrees, Nahan 19.2 degrees, Sundernagar 20.3 degrees and Una 22.7 degrees Celsius.
Rain-related incidents have so far claimed 75 lives and the loss to public property and crops has been assessed at Rs 710 crore, an official spokesman said.
The local MeT office has forecast rains and thundershowers in mid-hills and rains or snow over higher hills at isolated places over the next six days.