HP: Manali, Kufri, Dalhousie, Solan reel under sub-zero temperatures on New Year's Eve

Kufri, Manali, Dalhousie, Solan and Kalpa shivered at sub-zero temperatures in Himachal Pradesh on New Year's Eve with the state's lowest temperature recorded in Keylong at minus 8.2 degrees Celsius, the meteorological department said.

The MeT office has predicted snowfall and rain in the middle and higher hills of the state from December 31 to January 4.

Snowfall is most likely to occur in higher hills of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts on December 31 and January 1 whereas in the middle hills of Shimla, Kufri and Manali on January 2 and 3, Shimla Meteorological Centre Manmohan Singh told PTI.

Meanwhile, tourists from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and other places have come to Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie, Kufri, Bhagsunag and other tourist places in the hill state on New Year's Eve.

In Shimla, large number of tourists have already gathered at the historic Ridge Maidan to welcome 2020.

Himachal Pradesh police have tightened security arrangements to ensure smooth flow of vehicular traffic and to maintain law and order.

Weather was mainly dry over the state in the last 24 hours with minimum temperatures 1 to 2 degrees below normal.

Shimla recorded 1.2 degrees Celsius and Kalpa in Kinnaur district registered a low of minus 3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, Singh said.

Kufri, Manali, Solan and Dalhousie shivered at minus 1.8, minus 1.4, minus 0.6 and minus 0.4 degrees Celsius respectively, he said.