Several areas of Himachal Pradesh were hit by squall today in which a person was killed when a gate collapsed on him, while heavy rains lashed mid and lower hills of the state causing fall in mercury.
Kishan Chand (65), who took shelter near the gate of Ropa temple in Hamirpur to save himself from the squall, died as the gate fell on him.
Heavy rains lashed parts of Kangra and Mandi districts. Dharamsala received maximum 55 mm rains, followed by Jogindernagar 38 mm, Dalhousie 34 mm and Una 30 mm, Shimla 18 mm, Palampur 17 mm, Mandi 10 mm and Manali 6 mm.
Mango, apple and vegetable crops were damaged due to rains, government officials said, adding the loss is being assessed.
Maximum temperatures dropped by three to five degrees Celsius in the state due to the rains. Una recording a high of 33 degrees Celsius, against 37 degrees Celsius yesterday, was the hottest place in the state.
The maximum temperatures in Sundernagar and Nahan was recorded at 30.4 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius respectively, followed by Dharamshala 27.4 degrees Celsius, Solan 27 degrees Celsius, Bhuntar 25 degrees Celsius, Shimla 24 degrees Celsius and Manali 15.2 degrees Celsius, four to seven notches below normal.
Minimum temperatures also dropped by few notches with Keylong, Manali and Kalpa recording a low of 5.5 degrees Celsius, 6.6 degrees Celsius and 7.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
Shimla recorded a low of 11.7 degrees Celsius followed by Palampur and Bhuntar 13.5 degrees Celsius each, Solan 15.5 degrees Celsius, Nahan 15.7 degrees Celsius, Dharamsala 16.2 degrees Celsius, Sundernagar 16.5 degrees Celsius and Una 20 degrees Celsius.
The MeT office has predicted dry weather in the region over the next three days and rains or thundershowers at isolated parts in the lower, mid and higher hills on May 28.
