Himachal Pradesh is likely to witness a wet spell in the mid and higher hills around New Year as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light rainfall in the mid hills and light snowfall in the higher hills from December 30 to January 1.
From December 30, a fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect northwest India causing rains or snowfall from December 30 to January 1 in the mid and higher hills, said the IMD.
But, the weather would remain dry in the lower hills and plains from December 28 to January 2, it added.
After the rain and snowfall forecast, the hospitality industry in Himachal Pradesh is upbeat as New Year’s Eve has fallen on a weekend and snowfall would further boost tourism at places such as Shimla, Manali, Kasauli and Chail.
According to the weather department, Spiti was the coldest in the region with a low of minus 10.4 degrees Celsius.
However the maximum temperatures rose marginally and Una was the hottest place in the state with a high of 25.2 degrees Celsius, 4.7 notches above normal, while Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded a maximum temperature of 13.9 degrees Celsius, 7.8 notches above normal.
Shimla and Dharamshala recorded a maximum temperature of 16.5 degrees Celsius and 21 degrees Celsius, respectively.
In the post-monsoon season from October 1 to December 27, Himachal Pradesh has received 45.2 mm rains against the normal rainfall of 75.5 mm — a deficit of 40 per cent — and barring Bilaspur and Una, which received 47 per cent and 34 per cent excess rains, respectively. The 10 other districts had deficit rains ranging between 9 per cent and 76 per cent.
In December, the rain deficit was recorded at 81 per cent as all the 12 districts were affected. Kinnaur and Sirmaur received 99 per cent and 95 per cent deficit rains while the rain deficit in the other districts ranged between 39 per cent and 87 per cent.
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Published: 27 Dec 2023, 11:06 PM IST