Heavy rainfall & hailstorms in Himachal Pradesh
Giving respite from sweltering heatwave conditions, increasing heavy rainfall, hailstorm, thunderstorm, and lightning disrupted normal life in Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh witnessed many spells of rain and hailstorm. Himachal Pradesh Kissan Sabha president said that all ripened Rabi crops were completely damaged in Patghere and Digthi Gram Panchayat of Kasumpti causing major economic loss. Dr. Tanwar demanded that the state government should direct the Revenue Department to conduct an investigation of the affected apple orchards and off-seasonal vegetables.
Meanwhile, thunderstorms and dark clouds hovered over the sky since this afternoon disrupting normal life as power supply and Vehicular traffic were affected due to visibility. Many inmate’s roads were blocked by the wet weather and roads and fertile lands were washed away.
Indian Meteorological Department has issued an Orange warning and a yellow alert for the next three and four days. Tourists who are making beelines to Tourist resorts at Manali, Shimla, Kufri, Dalhousie, and Narkanda took a respite from sweltering heatwave conditions.
Unseasonal rainfall would help Farmers not bother to irrigate their growing crops and reduce the dependence on water sources for the purpose as after regular intervals rainfall are counted since April.
Agriculture experts warned farmers that it may increase instances of fungal diseases in their crops however it would increase the water table in the ground. Hailstorms also damaged apple crops in many places in Shimla and Kullu districts.
According to Met Office Mandi had 25 mm rainfall, Kufri 11 mm, Shimla and Sundernagar 11 mm. In many places, rainfall continues after 1800 hrs.
In a press release issued about forthcoming monsoon rains, IMD said that there is a 50 percent probability of below normal in Himachal Pradesh.
Making long period Average forecast for the rainy season for NW India IMD said that Southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall for Northwest India including Himachal Pradesh is likely to be below normal.
Quantitatively it is likely to be 92 percent of LPA. In respect of the spatial distribution of the monsoon seasonal rainfall, normal to below-normal rainfall is likely over many areas along the foothills of the Himalayas. There is a 50 percent probability of below-normal rainfall in the NW part of the country including Himachal Pradesh.
The latest global model forecasts indicate high probabilities for the development of El Niño conditions over the equatorial Pacific Ocean and positive IOD conditions over the Indian Ocean during the upcoming monsoon season.
The maximum temperature was below normal in the state in the summer season. Una was 34 degrees and six degrees low than normal. In Tourusts resort Manali and Shimla people and Tourists were seen wearing wollen clothes to brave the cold winds and rainy weather.
According to Indian Meteorological Chief Weatherman D S Pai, the heatwave conditions seemed completely vanishing from central India and especially North Western Himalayas as Western disturbances are back to back creating inclement weather and responsible for unseasonal rainfall in the country responsible for early premonsoon showers. He said that apart from Monsoon WDs in North India may plummet several degrees below normal.
The maximum temperature of Shimla was 21.6 and one degrees down, Bhuntar airport 29, Kalpa 20.6, Dharamshala 27, Una 34.6 Nahan 30, Keylong 17, Solan 27, Kangra 31.6, Chamba, Mandi and Bilaspur 32, Hamirpur 33 abd Dalhousie 21.1 and airport Jubberhatti 24.8, Kufri 16.3 and Narakanda 16.7 respectively.
