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Shimla, April 28
A sharp fall in temperatures across Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours has brought significant relief from the ongoing heatwave, following light to moderate rainfall and fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of the state.
According to data released by the Meteorological Centre, Shimla, maximum temperatures recorded a marked decline across most stations.
Una, which had been reeling under intense heat, witnessed a steep drop of 9.4°C, with the mercury falling from around 42.2°C on Monday to 32.6°C on Tuesday . Similar trends were observed across the state, with the average fall in maximum temperatures pegged at around 8°C.
The capital Shimla also experienced a sharp dip, with the maximum temperature falling by 9.5°C—from nearly 27–28°C a day earlier to 18°C—bringing the weather back to near-chilly conditions for late April. Other main stations such as Sundernagar and Solan recorded even steeper declines of 12°C and 12.5°C respectively .
The sudden change in weather has been attributed to an active western disturbance, which triggered light to moderate rain in mid and lower hills and snowfall in higher reaches including Rohtang and adjoining tribal areas. The shift has not only broken the heatwave spell but also pushed temperatures below normal levels in several parts of the state.
Despite the welcome respite, tourist inflow to hill stations such as Shimla and Manali has been partially affected due to movement restrictions imposed in view of the visit of President Droupadi Murmu.
In Shimla, vehicular movement has been restricted on key routes including the Mall Road axis, Charabra–Dhalli tunnel road, and Sanjauli–Raj Bhavan stretch under orders of the district administration. The usually bustling tourist hub wore a subdued and relatively deserted look.
Similarly, tourist movement towards Rohtang is expected to remain halted due to the President’s scheduled visit to the Atal Tunnel. Security has been significantly tightened across major tourist destinations to prevent any untoward incident.
As a result, many visitors arriving from the plains in search of relief from scorching heat have been unable to fully enjoy the cool and pleasant weather conditions currently prevailing in the hill state.
The Meteorological Department has indicated that the cooler conditions are likely to persist for the next few days, with intermittent spells of rain and gusty winds expected in different parts of Himachal Pradesh.
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