Western Disturbance Brings Rain and Cooler Air to Himachal

Overview

• Many parts of Himachal, including Shimla and Manali, saw strong winds and light rain on Friday morning that caused a noticeable drop in temperature and brief relief from several days of heat.
• The India Meteorological Department used INSAT-3DS thermal imagery to identify a large western disturbance moving into northwest India and raised the chance of precipitation over the state.
• IMD issued multi-day orange and yellow alerts for numerous districts for rain, thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds, warning of 40–50 km/h wind gusts in isolated places.
• Forecasters predict scattered rain and thunderstorms through May 23–26 with conditions expected to clear around May 27, and higher-altitude spots such as Rohtang received fresh snow that is already drawing tourists.
• Seven-day local forecasts show daytime temperatures dipping for a few days then climbing later in the week, and authorities warn of secondary hazards such as very high UV, lightning, hail and localized heavy downpours.