The toy train chugged into Shimla station, but the tourists travelling on it were in for a rude shock when they reached Shimla. It wasn't what they expected. Instead of a pleasantly cool weather, it was hot as daytime temperatures are hovering around 30 degrees Celsius.
"Yes, we are disappointed. We came all the way and here it's not very pleasant. We came
from the plains were it is very hot. It seems there's no escaping the hot weather," said one of the tourists Nadeem Sadique.
Nadeem's original plan was to stay in Shimla for about five days. But now he is cutting short his stay. And this is worrying those who depend on tourists for their livelihood.
"Tourists are not feeling good. They have spent so much to escape the heat wave in the plains. That's why they come to Shimla. And if Shimla too doesn't offer pleasant climate, they won't feel good," said Joginder Singh Saini, a taxi driver.
The highest temperature that Shimla has recorded in June was around 32 degrees Celsius and this year it has already touched 31 degrees Celsius. And with the Meteorological Department not holding out any hope of a respite till the first week of July, schools have extended the summer holidays for children up to Class VIII by another five days.
"All across Himachal, temperature is about four to seven degrees Celsius above normal. The reason is the long dry spell and the northwesterly dry wind. That's why temps were on higher side," said Manmohan Singh, Director, Met Department, Shimla.
Usually, May and June is the time when Shimla is all packed with tourists and this year too wasn't an exception. The toy train is one of the attractions here, but weather wasn't so good and the dry spell is casting its shadow on Shimla as well.
