With no rain throughout the month, Himachal Pradesh marks driest January in 20 years

Shimla, Jan 8 (PTI) With 100 per cent deficient rains in the first eight days, Himachal Pradesh witnessed the driest January in 20 years, the local Met Office said on Monday.

"With no rains in January 2024, the state has witnessed the driest January in the past two decades," Director of Shimla Meteorological Office Surinder Paul told PTI.

"In 2007, the rain deficit in the first eight days of January was 99 per cent," he added.

Most parts of Himachal Pradesh reeled under biting cold wave conditions as cold dry spell continued unabated and dense fog disrupted normal life in the plains and lower hills of the state.

The state received 45 per cent deficit rains during the post-monsoon season from October 1 to December 31, while the rain deficit was 83 per cent in December 2023 and 100 per cent rain deficit has been recorded till January 8, 2024.

Dense fog in six districts of Mandi, Bilaspur, Una, Kangra, Sirmaur (Paonta Sahib and Dhaula Kuan) and Solan (Baddi and Nalagarh) during the morning hours could have an impact on agriculture and result in cold injury and dead tissues (yellowing of tip), stunted growth, discolouration and wilting, the Met Office cautioned.

The local Met Office has predicted light rain at isolated places in the lower and mid hills and light rain/snow at isolated places on January 9 and dense fog in the plains and foothills.

The high altitude tribal areas and mountain passes groaned under arctic conditions with mercury staying 12 to 18 degrees below freezing point and all the natural sources of water like springs, lakes, rivulets, tributaries of snow fed rivers and a large stretch of the Chandrabhaga river have frozen affecting the discharge of water in the rivers.

The minimum temperatures hovered around freezing point at most places and Kusumseri was the coldest with a low of minus 8.3 degrees while Sumdo, Kalpa and Bhuntar recorded night temperatures at minus 6.2 degrees, minus 1.0 degree and minus 0.4 degrees followed by Mandi at 0.2 degrees, Sundernagar at 0.4 degrees, Narkanda at 1.2 degrees, Una at 1.4 degrees and Solan at 1.5 degrees.

The maximum temperatures stayed close to normal and Kangra was the hottest with a high of 20.9 degrees Celsius, followed by Dharamsala and Solan at 20.0 degrees Celsius each, Nahan at 17.0 degrees Celsius, Shimla at 14.2 degrees Celsius and Dalhousie, Kusumseri and Narkanda at 9.1 degrees Celsius.