Shimla : Intermittent heavy rain and showers lashed Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours, bringing much-needed relief from the summer heat and transforming the weather across the hill state. The state capital, Shimla, witnessed continuous rainfall throughout the night before skies cleared around 10 a.m. on Monday, allowing tourists to enjoy the fresh, cool surroundings.
Although the southwest monsoon is still two to three days away from formally entering Himachal Pradesh, pre-monsoon showers have already created pleasant weather conditions, attracting a large number of visitors from the neighbouring plains of Punjab, Haryana and other northern states.
Tourists expressed delight over the cool climate, lush green valleys and refreshing rainfall, saying the weather was a welcome escape from the scorching heat in the plains. Speaking to news agency, Kamal Kumar, a tourist from Punjab, said, "The weather is excellent and the views are beautiful. We arrived here yesterday from Punjab. It rained during the night, making the weather even more pleasant. There is intense heat in Punjab, so we came to Shimla to enjoy the cool climate, and we are having a wonderful time."
Another tourist, Abhishek, who travelled from Rohtak in Haryana, said, "The weather here is wonderful. Back home in Rohtak, it is extremely hot, but here it is cool and refreshing after the rain. We came here to enjoy the pleasant climate. The environment is clean, pollution is minimal, and the overall atmosphere is excellent. I would encourage everyone to visit Shimla and experience its natural beauty."
Madhu, another tourist from Haryana, also shared her excitement, saying, "The weather has become even more pleasant after the rainfall. It was extremely hot where we live, so we came here for a change in weather. We are feeling very happy and will definitely ask our friends and relatives to visit Shimla and enjoy this beautiful climate."
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a significant increase in rainfall activity across Himachal Pradesh over the coming days as the southwest monsoon advances further into the region. According to the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, scattered rainfall is expected on June 29 and 30. Rainfall activity is likely to intensify from July 1, with fairly widespread rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph. Isolated heavy rainfall is also expected.
The weather is forecast to peak on July 2 and 3, when the IMD has issued an Orange Alert for parts of the state. Widespread rainfall is likely, with isolated places expected to receive very heavy rainfall ranging between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds of 50-60 kmph.
Heavy rainfall is expected to continue at isolated places on July 4 and 5, while strong winds may persist across several districts. During the past 24 hours, fairly widespread rainfall was recorded across Himachal Pradesh. Muraridevi in Mandi district recorded the highest rainfall at 63.6 mm, followed by Brahmani (51.4 mm) and Ghaghas (50.0 mm). Thunderstorm and lightning activity was also reported from Shimla, Muraridevi and Kangra.
Temperature variations remained marginal across the state. Una recorded the highest maximum temperature at 38.0°C, while Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 8.3°C. The IMD said favourable atmospheric conditions and a western disturbance are supporting the further advance of the southwest monsoon, which is expected to enter the remaining parts of Himachal Pradesh within the next few days.