Shimla is no longer cool

SHIMLA - Shimla has always been one of the most favourite tourist destinations of individuals not just from different parts of the country but foreign as well. The cool and pleasant climate during summer makes it a preferred destination of everyone around.

But these days the rising temperature has made a lot of locals a worried lot, who depend largely on tourist inflow for their livelihood.We have not witnessed such heat in Shimla before. It is worrying. In coming time this heat will create water crisis in town,” said Jeet Ram Sharma, a local of Shimla.

The Meteorological Department in Shimla believes that the temperature has risen because there were no western disturbances, and has forecast a further rise in temperatures over the coming days.

“(We are) not expecting any rain or snow in the coming days so the temperature will remain same or slightly rise in some places, and in some places it will fall, like one or two degrees,” said Manmohan Singh, Director of Meteorology Centre, Shimla.

Temperatures are soaring all across the state in the wake of an ongoing dry spell. Even the western disturbances across neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir state and Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti Valley may not help in lowering the heat.

Shimla has recorded the warmest month of March after 2004, with temperatures soaring 8 to 10 degree Celsius above normal.

In 2004, the highest ever temperature in March was recorded at 27.2 degree Celsius. This year temperatures already touched 25.8 degree Celsius on Tuesday (March 23). By Hemant Chauhan (ANI)