Shimla : Himachal Pradesh witnessed dry weather conditions across the state during the past 24 hours, with no significant rainfall or snowfall recorded, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its morning weather bulletin on Friday.
According to the IMD, there was no major change in minimum temperatures at most stations, with readings remaining normal to near normal. However, at a few places, minimum temperatures were above normal by 2-3 degrees Celsius. Maximum temperatures showed an appreciable rise of 2-4 degrees Celsius at many stations and were also largely normal to near normal, with some areas reporting temperatures 2-3 degrees Celsius above normal.
Tabo in Lahaul and Spiti recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at -10.2 degrees Celsius, while Una and Paonta Sahib reported the highest maximum temperature at 23 degrees Celsius. Dense fog conditions were observed at isolated locations, reducing visibility to about 50 metres in Bilaspur and around 100 metres in Sundernagar. No incidents of hailstorm, thunderstorm, gusty winds, cold wave or cold day conditions were reported during the period, the IMD said.
In its forecast, the weather department stated that Western Disturbance in the form of a cyclonic circulation over northeast Iran continues to persist at mid-tropospheric levels. Additionally, the subtropical westerly jet stream, with core winds of around 105 knots at about 12.6 km above mean sea level, is prevailing over north India. Another fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from February 2, which may influence weather conditions in the region.
For the coming days, the IMD has predicted largely dry weather over Himachal Pradesh, with isolated to scattered light weather activity during the initial part of the forecast period. Dense fog is likely at isolated places on Friday, while thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, is expected at isolated locations during the next few days. The IMD has advised residents and travellers to remain cautious during early morning and late evening hours in fog-prone areas and to stay updated with the latest weather advisories.