With the temperature soaring in the hills, tourists in Shimla, Dharamshala and other hill stations of Himachal Pradesh were left disappointed.
At 14.4 degrees Celsius, the state capital Shimla recorded highest-ever minimum temperature on Saturday. The mercury has been inching up in the hills and across the North Indian belt over the last few days.
"Both the minimum and maximum temperatures in the state are currently 4 to 5 degrees above normal. In some areas, the temperatures are 8 to 10 degrees above normal," said Surender Paul, head of IMD, Himachal Pradesh.
Most hill stations in Himachal recorded above-normal minimum temperatures, with Dalhousie recording a minimum of 15.2 degrees Celsius.
"This is for the first time there has been no snowfall and temperatures have also gone high. It is a matter of concern as the temperatures are increasing and it is becoming tough for us. I have seen this high temperature for the first time," said Sher Singh a local.
"The weather has created trouble to the locals as the snowfall was very less in Shimla this year The weather is changing, we will face a water crisis in days to come. The crops will also be affected, it will create a big problem," said Gopal another local.
Another tourist who has come from Hisar Haryan also felt disappointed.
"I came here to get rid of the heat in Hisar and was expecting snowfall. But it's very hot here. Hills have now started heating up. I thought that if not snow I will get cold climatic conditions here. This rising temperature in hills is a matter of concern," he said.
Similar climatic conditions were recorded in Dharamshala.
On Saturday, the maximum temperature was around 28 degrees Celsius whereas the minimum temperature was recorded at 8.4 degrees in Dharamshala of Himachal Pradesh.
According to locals, such climatic conditions are not good as it may have an adverse effect on the tourism industry and the drinking water schemes of the region.
"The weather is getting hot in February this year. We are using single jacket or sweater and that too in morning or evening hours. Dharamshala is a famous tourist destination and such climate is not a good sign for us here," said Anil Kumar, a local.
"We came here with lots of luggage but I am wearing just a half t-shirt with a half jacket. This is quite disappointing. We expected something else," said Baljeet Singh, a tourist.
Another tourist named Devender said, "We went to see the waterfall and snowline but it disappointed us. We are using AC in the cars. The weather is quite hot. People come to the hills just to enjoy the cold climate but it is quite opposite this year."
( With inputs from ANI )
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