From correspondents in Himachal Pradesh, India, 10:32 PM IST

Rain in Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh Sunday brought relief to the people from the scorching heat, weather officials said.

'Moderate rain in Shimla and its nearby areas this (Sunday) noon brought much relief from the scorching heat,' met office director Manmohan Singh told IANS.

The mercury plummeted sharply after the rains, he said.

'In the morning, the maximum temperature fell slightly from Saturday's 28 degrees Celsius due to clouds, but after the rain, the temperature dipped to 20 degrees,' he said.

Singh said the temperature would continue to fall in the next 24 hours due to cloudy formations and isolated rain in mid and high-hill areas. However, dry conditions would continue in the lower hills.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)