In January Shimla feels like March

Shimla -- The freak warm weather for the past week or so in this Himalayan resort town has everyone worried, particularly farmers and those in the tourism trade.

"The normal temperature in January varies between 2 to 9 degrees Celsius in Shimla. But for the past week the mercury is varying between 6-7 minimum to 17.5 maximum," said Manmohan Singh, head of the Shimla Meteorological office.

On Monday, Shimla recorded a minimum temperature of 7.3 C and rose to 17.5 C. "This is the average temperature in spring in March, not January," said Singh.

"The entire state of Himachal Pradesh is experiencing unusually high temperatures," he added. "The last snowfall and rain took place in the second week of December."

The long dry spell has farmers worried because snow is considered crucial for their crops while rain is equally important in the lower hills.

Due to lack of snowfall in many resort towns, tourists are ignoring the state this winter.