Shimla, June 4 (IANS): After days of pleasant weather, the hills of Himachal Pradesh saw the mercury soar on Thursday with Shimla recording a maximum temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius, a whopping five degrees above the previous day.

"Temperatures rose across the state despite rain and thundershowers at some places," an official of the Met Office here told IANS.

Una town was the hottest place in the state with the maximum temperature touching 34.8 degrees Celsius.

Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded a maximum of 33.8 degrees, Bhuntar in Kullu district touched 32 degrees Celsius, Dharamsala in Kangra district was 27.4 degrees Celsius and Kalpa in Kinnaur district marked a high of 21.8 degrees Celsius.

These towns on Wednesday recorded a high of 28.8 degrees, 25.5 degrees, 26.8 degrees and 18.6 degrees, respectively.

Picturesque tourist towns Shimla and Manali recorded 3.6 mm and 6 mm rain, respectively.

The Met office has forecast dry weather across the state till weekend.