42-yr-old rain record in Shimla broken

A severe hailstorm and thunderstorm accompanied by intermittent heavy rain lashed Shimla and its surrounding areas today, disrupting normal life. Shimla received 86 mm of rain in the past 24 hours, breaking the 42-year-old record of heavy rainfall in one day in April. The temperature in the capital city fell to 4°C. Earlier Shimla had received the maximum rainfall of 111 mm on April 15, 1979.

The thunderstorm disrupted power supply, uprooted trees and blew off roofs of kaccha houses at several places. Dodra Kwar was cut off from the rest of the state. As many as 179 roads in the state were blocked. The highest number of 140 roads was blocked in Lahaul and Spiti district, followed by 16 each in Chamba and Kinnaur, seven in Kullu, and one in Shimla.

Tribal areas received another spell of fresh snowfall; Keylong witnessed 18 cm of snow, followed by Kalpa 16 mm and Kothi 3 mm.

Widespread rain lashed the region. Manali received 74 mm of rain, followed by Jogindernagar 71 mm, Dalhousie 66 mm, Kothi 65 mm, Baijnath 56 mm, Palampur 54 mm, Bhuntar 40 mm, Dharamsala and Narkanda 38 mm each, Sundernagar 37 mm, Tinder 35 mm, Mandi and Tissa 34 mm, Malan 33 mm, Banjar and Chhatrari 32 mm each, Seobagh 31 mm, Jubbar Hatti 28 mm, Janjehli 27 mm, Khadrala and Keylong 26 mm each, Bharari 25 mm, Bhoranj and Bakloh 24 mm each, Bijahi and Bajura 23 mm each, Naina Devi and Karsog 22 mm each, Kasol and Sangla 21 mm each, Moorang 20 mm and Ghumarwin and Bilaspur 18 mm each.

The local Met office has issued a yellow warning of a thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in Bilaspur, Shimla and Sirmaur districts tomorrow. It has also predicted a wet spell in the region on April 23, 24 and 28. The minimum temperatures were three to four degrees below normal and Keylong was the coldest at night recording minus 0.7°C. The maximum temperatures were nine to 10 degrees below normal and Nahan with 26.7°C was the hottest.