Mercury plummets in parts of Himachal

Intense cold wave conditions further aggravated in Himachal Pradesh today as minimum temperatures dropped sharply and stayed five to 11 degrees Celsius below normal.
The dip in mercury led to freezing and bursting of water pipes in mid and higher hills, affecting water supply.
Thick ground frost occurred in mid and higher hills and frozen, slippery roads hampered vehicular traffic in morning hours.
The mercury stayed 12 to 17 degrees Celsius below the freezing point in high altitude tribal areas, while tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur recorded minimum temperatures at minus 8.6 and minus 7.0 degrees Celsius.

Shimla and Manali shivered under sub-zero temperature with a low of minus 3.8 and minus 0.9 degree Celsius.
Solan and Sundernagar recorded a low of 0.5 and 1.0 degree Celsius, while Nahan in foothills recorded the minimum temperature at 2.7 degrees Celsius, 10 degrees below normal.

Palampur too was in the grip of biting cold with minimum temperature at 3.0 degree Celsius, followed by Bhuntar 3.4, Una 6.2 and Dharamsala 7.2 degrees Celsius.
Tourists thronged Shimla and made a beeline to Kufri, bringing cheers to hoteliers, and Kasauli and Barog also saw tourist rush.
While the region had a clear day today, Manali recorded 8 cm of snow till this morning, followed by Shimla and Kalpa 7 cm, Bijahi 6 cm, Jubbal and Khadrala 5 cm.

Jhandutta in Bilaspur district received 26 cm rain, followed by Nainadevi 16 cm, Nahan and Jubbal 12 cm, Gaggal and Manali 6 cm.
The state received 33 per cent excess rain from March 1 to March 12 with Sirmaur and Bilaspur districts recording 208 per cent and 196 per cent excess rain, followed by Shimla 80 per cent, Kullu 65 per cent, Solan 59 per cent, Hamirpur 58 per cent and Una 51 per cent.
Lahaul and Spiti was the only district that received 31 per cent deficit rain, the MeT office said.
There was a minor increase in day temperatures and Una recorded a high of 23.0 degrees Celsius, while Sundernagar and Bhuntar recorded maximum temperature at 18.7 and 17.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Nahan 17.2, Solan 15.8, Dharamsala 11.8, Shimla 10.0, Manali 8.0 and Kalpa 4.8 degrees Celsius.

Dry weather would prevail in the region over the next six days from tomorrow, the MeT office said.