Shimla, July 10 - Himachal Pradesh has received the lowest rainfall in 20 years this monsoon, weather officials said Friday.

'The overall monsoon situation in the hill state continues to be precarious. Large parts continue to be deficit,' meteorological office director Manmohan Singh told IANS.

'The deficiency in the cumulative rainfall from June 1 to July 8 is more than 69 percent. The state has received (during this period) just 45.1 mm average rainfall against the normal average rainfall of 145.2 mm,' he added.

While there was 72 percent deficit rainfall in Shimla, the figure is higher in Bilaspur (80 percent) and Chamba (90 percent).

'This is the lowest monsoon rainfall in the state in the past 20 years.