Pre-Monsoon showers bring relief to heat-stricken Himachal Pradesh

Pre-monsoon showers have arrived in Himachal Pradesh, which has been suffering from intense heat. On Wednesday evening, heavy rainfall occurred in the capital Shimla, Dharamshala, Chamba, Kullu, Hamirpur, and Mandi. Light showers in Solan and Una’s Gagret and Chintpurni areas brought some relief in temperature. In Chamba district, snowfall was reported in the peaks of Bharmour and Manimahesh, while snowflakes fell in Rohtang. Dalhousie and Sirmaur witnessed hail along with rain.

On Wednesday, seven districts—Sirmaur, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Shimla, Kangra, and Solan—experienced heatwaves during the day. However, most parts of the state received showers in the evening, bringing relief. A yellow alert for rain and thunderstorms has been issued for Thursday and Friday in several regions of the state. The southwest monsoon is predicted to reach the state by the end of June.

In the capital Shimla, clouds gathered and strong winds blew at around 5 PM on Wednesday, followed by heavy rain. The downpour continued for about two hours. In Chamba’s upper peaks of Manimahesh, Kugti, Chaobia, and Kali Chhau, five centimeters of snowfall was recorded. Dalhousie and Sirmaur saw a drop in temperature due to rain and hail. Rainfall was also reported from Kullu to Lahaul Valley. Snowflakes fell along with rain in the Rohtang Pass. Various places in Mandi experienced rain in the afternoon on Wednesday. In Jogindernagar, waterlogging in the city soaked the goods of traders. In many places, trees fell on power lines, disrupting electricity supply. Light rain occurred in Gagret and Chintpurni areas of Una district. The district headquarters, however, remained dry, leaving people disappointed. Rainfall was also recorded in Hamirpur, Solan, and Kangra. The rain brought relief from the heat after many days. In Dharamshala, strong winds blew in the evening followed by heavy hail and rain. In Raja Ka Talab, two trees were uprooted by the storm, falling on a vehicle and a roadside stall, causing damage.

According to Surendra Pal, Director of the Meteorological Center Shimla, the evening rain brought some reduction in the temperature across the state. Pre-monsoon showers were expected in Himachal between June 15 and 20. On June 19, many regions of the state received pre-monsoon rainfall. The monsoon is expected to arrive in the state by the last week of June.