Inclement weather has taken Himachal Pradesh by storm, with snow, hail, rain and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds continuing for the fourth consecutive day Friday. The ongoing wet spell has led to landslides and avalanches, destroyed crops and property, and caused loss of animal lives. In several parts, roads including national highways have been blocked and power supply disrupted. In Kinnaur, a man was killed in a landslide. Day temperatures have dipped by around 10°C in the state, reviving winter-like cold conditions in late April and forcing residents in the middle and high hills to turn on their heaters or light fires and switch to warmer clothes. The town of Shimla, which received 83 mm rain in a 24-hour-period, is facing one of its wettest Aprils ever. The nearby tourist spot of Narkanda has been covered in snow - a rare phenomenon in summer. Meanwhile, water sources in the state, many of which had dried up early this year, have been recharged by the wet weather. Before the rains, the state had been facing drought-like conditions for several months.
