IMD forecasts rain, hailstorms across various parts of Himachal Pradesh for next three days

Himachal Pradesh Weather Update: Heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning, and hailstorms hit various parts of Himachal Pradesh in the last 24 hours. This extreme weather follows three days of unstable conditions, with rain, hail, and snowfall in higher areas. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this wet spell is expected to continue for the next three days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a weather alert for most districts in Himachal Pradesh, warning of rain, hailstorms, thunderstorms, and lightning. Only the Lahaul-Spiti district is exempt from this alert. According to Sandeep Kumar Sharma, Senior Scientist at Meteorological Centre Shimla, the state saw light to moderate rain in most areas over the last 24 hours, with hailstorms reported in some places.

He added that Bilaspur received the highest rainfall with 74 mm, followed by Kandaghat in Solan district with 67 mm. Hailstorms were reported in Shimla and Kasauli, and strong winds were recorded at several stations.

Upcoming weather forecast

The IMD predicts light to moderate rain in plains and mid-hill regions from May 5 to May 8, with snowfall expected in higher areas. This weather pattern is likely to continue for the next 4-5 days. Besides, night-time thunderstorms and gusty winds are likely between May 5 and May 9, particularly in Chamba, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur districts.

Isolated hailstorms are expected in Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Solan, Sirmaur, and Kangra. In view of this, alerts have been issued for May 5 and 6.

 After May 9, a decrease in weather activity is anticipated. However, light rain may still occur in a few places in the mid-hill districts on May 10 and 11.

Temperature update

Una recorded the highest temperature at 35.2°C, while Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti had the lowest at 4.2°C. Temperatures across Himachal Pradesh are 2-3°C below normal. Overall, temperatures across Himachal Pradesh have been 2 to 3 degrees Celsius below normal.

In Shimla, the daytime temperature was around 22 degrees Celsius, which is 2 degrees below normal. In Solan, the maximum temperature was 30 degrees Celsius, which is a significant 10 degrees below normal, while Mandi recorded 27.8 degrees Celsius, about 5 degrees below average.

Weather update

Weather conditions are expected to become active again from this evening, with increased cloud cover and consistently lower-than-average temperatures expected to persist.

According to IMD data, rainfall for the month of May so far has been 22 per cent above normal across the state. 

However, some districts, including Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti, have received below-average rainfall, while six districts have recorded above-normal rainfall, and the rest are close to average.

The IMD has maintained a hailstorm alert for May 5 and 6 in districts including Shimla, Kangra, and Mandi. Thunderstorms are expected to continue across the state (excluding Lahaul-Spiti) over the next five days, with intermittent clear weather periods. However, light to moderate rainfall will persist in many areas, and gusty winds may occur in some districts.