Himachal Weather: Shimla Hit By Squalls, Heavy Rain; 'Orange' Alert Issued For Next 12 Hours | Check Forecast

Himachal Weather Update: Squalls and heavy rain lashed Shimla and its surrounding tourist spots like Kufri and Chharabra that reduced visibility to a few metres and forced people to rush indoors, according to the local MeT office. The sky was dark throughout the day as strong winds raced over the area, but in the evening, a squall with lightning slammed the region, according to the weather office.

The Met Station has issued an orange alert for light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms, and gusty winds with speeds of up to 30-40 kmph in Shimla and up to 40-50 kmph in isolated areas across Una, Bilaspur, Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Chamba districts for the next 12 hours, till Friday morning.

It has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds reaching speeds of up to 30-40 kmph in Kinnaur, Lahaul, and Spiti districts till 9 AM Friday.

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A rainy period is expected in the state till May 7, with lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 30-50 kmph in isolated areas throughout most districts from Thursday to Sunday.

According to the Met station, a new western disturbance is expected to impact the western Himalayan region starting on May 2 and may provide light to moderate rainfall across several areas of the state from Friday to Sunday.

Keylong recorded a low of 5.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, while several other locations in the state saw an increase in the lowest temperature of 2-4 degrees Celsius.