Met issues 'orange' alert for heavy rain, thunderstorm in Himachal Pradesh on June 1, 2

Shimla, May 31 (PTI) An 'orange' warning has been issued for heavy rain, thunderstorm accompanied with gusty wind at speeds of 50 to 60 kilometre per hour at isolated places of Himachal Pradesh for the next two days, the meteorological department said on Saturday.

The warning has been issued for isolated places in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts on June 1 and 2. In Solan and Sirmaur the alert has been issued for June 2, the department said.

It has also issued a 'yellow' alert for thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds at speeds of 40 to 50 kilometre per hour at isolated places in majority of the districts between June 1 and 3. The pre-monsoon season from March 1 to May 31 ended with 27 per cent deficit rainfall in Himachal Pradesh while the state received two percent excess rains during the month of May.

The monsoon season is set to commence with a wet spell, according to the local met office.

Himachal Pradesh received 176.8 mm average rain from March 1 to May 31 against a normal rainfall of 240.7 mm, a deficit of 27 per cent.

Meanwhile, 64.3 mm rainfall was logged during the month of May against an average of 63.3 mm but the distribution of rains was uneven.

Sirmaur received 72 per cent of excess pre-monsoon rain followed by 49 per cent in Hamirpur, 19 per cent in Bilaspur, 16 per cent in Shimla and seven per cent in Una. The rain deficit was 50 per cent in Lahaul and Spiti, 46 per cent in Chamba and Kinnaur, 14 per cent in Kullu and 12 per cent in Kangra district, the MeT said.

Light rains occurred at few places during past 24 hours with Kotkhai logging 15.4 mm rainfall, followed by 8.8 mm in Kufri, 6.0 mm each in Jatton Barrage and Rohru, 5.2 mm in Dharampur, 5 mm in Kasauli, 4 mm in Solan, 3.4 mm in Paonta Sahib, 3.3 mm in Shimla and 3 mm in Chamba.

There was no significant variation in maximum and minimum temperatures with Una being the hottest in the state at 38.8 degrees Celsius and Keylong being the coldest with a low of 3.7 degrees Celsius, the weather office added.

It said that the lower hills were warmer during the night with Neri registering a minimum temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius, followed by 22.0 degrees Celsius in Paonta Sahib and 21 degrees Celsius in Dehra Gopipur. PTI BPL OZ OZ