The local Met office has issued an orange alert, predicting heavy rainfall, thunderstorm, lightning and hailstorm at isolated places in mid and low hills of 10 districts in Himachal Pradesh on March 31, barring the tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti.

It has also issued a yellow alert for thunderstorm and lightning on April 1 and 3.

The MeT has also cautioned that heavy rain and hailstorm can also damage standing crops, fruit plants and new planting and predicted a wet spell in the region till April 5 as a fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Northwest India from the night of April 2.

The rain deficit in the hill state from March 1 to March 30 stood at 44 per cent with Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Chamba and Una receiving 86 per cent, 71 per cent, 46 per cent, 36 per cent and 10 per cent less rain.

Light rains lashed a few parts of Shimla and Kullu districts with Rampur receiving 3 mm of rain followed by Mashobra at 2 mm and Shimla Bhuntar, Banjar and Sarahan at 1 mm each.

There was no significant change in the minimum and maximum temperatures.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti was recorded to be the coldest region at night with a low of minus 1 degree Celsius and Dhaulakaun in the Sirmaur district stood out as the hottest region during the day at 32.6 degrees C.

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