Shimla, Jan 27 (UNI) Forenoon sunshine diluted the grip of prolonged spell of cold, but overcast conditions during the second half of the day plummeted the mercury again in lower and higher hills of Himachal Pradesh simultaneously.

Shimla yesterday had recorded more than .4 cm of snow, with Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded 3.9cm, and Kalpa had been recorded minimum temperature at minus 12.6 and maximum minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.

Temperature in Shimla recorded below zero, and it hovered around minus 2.5 to minus 3 degrees, for the consecutive seventh day while the maximum temperature rose to 9.0 degrees.

In the lower regions of state Una has been reported running under severe cold and minimum temperature recorded here stood at minus 2.7 degrees.

On the other hand minimum temperature at Sundernagar has been recorded minus 1.5 and 15.6 maximum, and at Bhunter minus 0.5 minimum and 14.2 degree maximum.

Over the past couple of weeks state had remained under sharply plummeted mercury conditions, while lower areas had been reported bereft of rainfall, no fresh snowfall had been recorded on the higher reaches of state also.

Meanwhile, another spell of fresh snow yesterday had materialised a reprieve in severe cold, and including the tribal Districts of the state, lower areas had experienced sunshine.

UNI XC AS HS SB BD1813