Shimla, Dec 29 (IANS): Shimla and the areas close to it were 'warmer' Monday compared to places in the neighbouring plains.

Shimla, located around 7,000 feet above sea level, recorded a low of 3.1 degrees Celsius while Chandigarh, located in the foothills, experienced similar temperature. Amritsar in Punjab was the coldest in the region at a freezing zero degree.

On the other hand, Haryana's Karnal (2.6) was also colder than Shimla. Hisar's night temperature, too, was similar to Shimla's 3.1 degrees.

Manmohan Singh, director of Shimla's meteorological department, told IANS that Shimla and its nearby locations experienced "cosy nights" due to the prevailing dry weather and long, sunny days.

"Most of the hill stations are experiencing pleasant weather owing to more sunshine compared with the plains, which has been enduring long, foggy days," he said.

A humidity level of 70 percent or more causes fog, he said. In the plains, he added, it is almost 100 percent.

In the hills it is between 30 and 40 percent.

The weather in Himachal's popular destinations like Kasauli, Chail, Kufri, Dharamsala and Manali is also sunny.

"It's pleasant here (in Shimla). As we entered the hills, the mellow sunshine greeted us. What a relief," said Abhishek Nayyar, a tourist from Chandigarh. "The chill in the plains is literally sending shivers down your spine," his wife Shallu added.

Shimla recorded a maximum temperature of 14.6 degrees Celsius Sunday, 4.1 degrees above normal.

But in the plains, the met official said, the day temperatures were 2-8 degrees below the season's average.

He said dry weather conditions would continue in Himachal Pradesh till Jan 3 when the western disturbances - storm systems originating from the Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region - would be active in the region.

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