Sunday showers cheer tourists in Himachal

Days after prevailing dry weather in Himachal Pradesh, showers on Sunday brought cheers to thousands of tourists who have thronged the hill stations to escape the heat in the northern plains.

Shimla, situated at an altitude of 2,130 metres, recorded the maximum temperature at 28 degrees Celsius, a fall from Saturday's 29.4, the season's hottest.

It and nearby areas saw moderate showers. "Most of the state saw rain, bringing the temperature down considerably," a weatherman.

The picturesque tourist resorts of Manali, Dharamsala and Dalhousie experienced mild rain.

"What a pleasant relief in Shimla from the prevailing hot conditions with these showers," said Neerja Gargish, a tourist from Chandigarh.

The Met office said there could be light to moderate rain or thundershowers in popular tourist resorts like Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Kasauli, Manali, Palampur, Chamba and Dalhousie till Tuesday.

Kalpa, a picturesque town 250 km from here, recorded a maximum temperature of 25.8 degrees Celsius.

Sundernagar, which also saw rains, recorded a high of 36.9 degrees Celsius, while it was 33.2 degrees Celsius at Dharamsala.

Una town was the hottest in the state with a high of 42.8 degrees Celsius.