By: ML Verma
Shimla (Oct 24): After two days of inclement weather, the sky suddenly turned crystal-clear in most parts of Himachal this morning even as overnight rain and snowfall over the high reaches of Shimla, Sirmaur and Kinnaur brought down night temperature below freezing point at some places.
Tourists, many of whom were yesterday stranded at different places, were seen basking in the bright sunshine at tourist destinations like Manali, Shimla and Dharamsala today. Met office recorded 8 and 5 mm rain at Theog, Jubbal area of Shimla district and 4 mm at Sandhol in Mandi district. Kalpa in Kinnaur had 2 mm rainfall as its high reaches had snowfall.
The Manali-Leh highway was being restored by Border Road Organization on war-footing and official claiming it would be opened within two days. BRO would remove all its posts from Mari to Sarchu from October 31 as this road would be closed for vehicular traffic for the entire winter season.
Keylong town headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti had 20 mm snowfall on Thursday night and is still under the grip of tight cold wave as mercury fell under sub-zero (first time in this season) temperature at minus 0.6 degree Celsius followed by Kalpa at 0.4 degrees, six degree less than normal. Bhuntar in Kullu was cold at 6 degrees, Shimla, Solan and Sundernagar in Mandi 8 degrees each, Dharamsala 9.7 degrees and four degree below normal, Una 12.2 degrees and three degree below normal, Mandi and Palampur in Kangra district 10 degrees each and Nahan 13.7 degrees respectively.
The Met office forecast mainly dry weather conditions in the state for next 24 hours.