Shimla, June 29 -- Intermittent heavy rain and showers lashed Himachal Pradesh over the past 24 hours, bringing much-needed relief from the summer heat and transforming the weather across the hill state. The state capital, Shimla, witnessed continuous rainfall throughout the night before skies cleared around 10 a.m. on Monday, allowing tourists to enjoy the fresh, cool surroundings.

Although the southwest monsoon is still two to three days away from formally entering Himachal Pradesh, pre-monsoon showers have already created pleasant weather conditions, attracting a large number of visitors from the neighbouring plains of Punjab, Haryana and other northern states.

Tourists expressed delight over the cool climate, lush green valleys and ...