Temperature rises in Himachal; rain in store

Shimla, May 2 (IANS) Temperatures across Himachal Pradesh rose slightly in the absence of rain on Tuesday, with state capital Shimla recording a high of 23.2 degrees Celsius. The Met department forecast rain and thundershowers in the state by Wednesday.

"The maximum temperature in the state rose by two to three degrees owing to dry weather," an official of the meteorological office here told IANS.

He said the minimum temperature, however, remained two to four degrees below normal.

Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, was the coldest in the state with a low of minus 0.1 degree Celsius.

Kalpa, a picturesque town 250 km from here, recorded a maximum temperature of 19.4 degrees Celsius, while it was 29.2 degrees Celsius at Dharamsala in Kangra district.

Una town, located along Punjab, was the hottest in the state with a high of 37.8 degrees Celsius.