Shimla, Manali Freeze at Sub Zero Temperatures

Shimla, Jan 15 (IANS) A day after Himachal Pradesh's popular tourist destinations Shimla and Manali received mild snowfall, both towns remained in the grip of a severe cold wave as the temperature Thursday plummeted below the freezing point.

State capital Shimla recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.5 degree Celsius, the town's lowest of the season, while Manali recorded minus four degrees Celsius.

Shimla also received moderate snowfall, the flakes largely melting away within a few hours, but upper areas like Narkanda, Jubbal, Kotkhai and Kharapathar experienced heavy snowfall, a Met official told IANS here.

He said most places in the state recorded sub-zero temperatures.

Other resorts like Dalhousie and Khajjiar in Chamba district, McLeodganj in upper Dharamsala and Chail in Solan district also received snowfall.

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Water in taps in residential areas located in Shimla's US Club and Jakhu hills remained frozen due to extreme cold.

Keylong was the coldest place in the state recording minus 5.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Kalpa at minus 4.8 degrees. Both the towns received 4 cm and 8 cm of snowfall respectively.

Dharamsala, which experienced 24.2 mm rain, recorded the night temperature at 2.8 degrees Celsius.

The Met department forecast Western Disturbances - storm systems originating from the Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region - would start withdrawing Thursday and would become active again Jan 20, bringing more rain and snowfall in the region.