Mussoorie, March 17 -- A fresh spell of rain in several parts of Uttarakhand and light snowfall in higher reaches of seven hill districts brought down temperatures across the state on Monday. Light snowfall was reported from higher altitude areas, including Kharsali, the winter abode of Goddess Yamuna located on the Yamunotri highway in Uttarkashi district. Mussoorie and nearby villages experienced light rain, forcing tourists to remain indoors amid the sudden dip in temperature. Rainfall across several parts of the state has also brought temporary relief from forest fires, which usually begin during the summer months. According to official data, 145 forest fire incidents have been reported in the state so far this year. Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Dehradun, CS Tomar, said the weather activity was due to an active western disturbance. "Light snowfall in higher reaches and light rain at isolated places in districts including Bageshwar, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Almora and Uttarkashi occurred due to a western disturbance active over the region in the past 24 hours," Tomar said. He added that the system is likely to weaken on Tuesday, though another western disturbance may become active from Wednesday, which could again bring light rain and snowfall in higher reaches at isolated places. In the past 24 hours, most parts of the state witnessed light to moderate rainfall, while snowfall occurred in isolated high-altitude areas. According to the IMD Dehradun centre, the weather activity was accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and hailstorms in several districts. Surface winds of up to 70 kmph were recorded in Champawat and Mukteshwar....