Monsoon arrives in Himachal

Shimla : The monsoon kept its date with Himachal Pradesh covering the entire state in the early hours Tuesday .

The weather office here said the SW monsoon has advanced into entire Himachal and neighbouring Uttarakhand , Jammu & Kashmir and parts of Punjab. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Widespread rain lashed the state including capital Shimla late Monday bringing down the mercury sharply .

Moderate to heavy rainfall has been forecast in the next 48 hours in Himachal. Heavy rain warning has been issued at isolated places .

The sudden arrival of the monsoon has come as a pleasant surprise to the hill folk as the weather office was expecting a late arrival this time .

Usually with the arrival of the monsoon a dip in tourist arrivals takes place in the hill stations of Himachal after the peak rush in May and June .