Light to heavy rain lashed several parts of north India intensifying cold wave conditions in the region following snowfall in higher reaches that brought down day temperature considerably in Delhi and neighbourhood.
Snowfall was recorded in the higher reaches of Uttarkhand and Jammu and Kashmir while many places in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, U.P. and some places in Rajasthan were lashed by showers with the MeT department predicting more snowfall in the higher reaches.
“We have predicted heavy snowfall in parts of Uttarakhand and J&K. In HP, only few regions would experience snowfall, whereas in Uttarakhand, snowfall would be experienced in 1-2 regions,” IMD Director B. P. Yadav said.
The sky remained overcast as scattered rain and icy winds swept through Delhi keeping people indoors.
The maximum temperature settled seven notches below normal at 16 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was recorded at 14.2 degrees Celsius, six points above normal, Met department said.
The city received 3.8 mm of rains during the day as high humidity persisted between 87 and 93 per cent.
As overcast conditions coupled with shallow fog loomed throughout the day, the Met department predicted similar conditions for Monday and possibility of more rain during the night.
Despite severe cold, long queues of voters were seen outside the polling stations in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
Ending a prolonged dry spell, many parts of Punjab and Haryana received moderate to heavy rainfall for the second day on Sunday as minimum temperatures showed a significant rise although chilly winds forced people to remain indoors.
The joint capital of the two States, Chandigarh received 74.3 mm rain until early on Sunday morning, while the minimum temperature recorded a rise by few notches to 10.6 degrees Celsius, a MeT Department official said.
Other places in the two states to receive rain included Panchkula (50 mm), Kalka (40 mm), Ambala (39.8 mm), Ludhiana (23.5 mm), Madhopur (19.3 mm), Patiala (17.1 mm) Mohali, Phagwara and Jalandhar.
In Haryana, minimum temperatures were recorded up to six notches above normal at various places including Ambala 11.7, Hisar 13.7, Karnal 13, Narnaul 10.5 and Bhiwani 13.6 degrees Celsius respectively.
In Punjab, Amritsar’s minimum settled at 8.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Ludhiana 10.4 and Patiala 11.9 degrees Celsius respectively, up to five notches above normal.
Misty weather affected normal life in Rajasthan as the sun remained elusive for the second consecutive day on Sunday, a MeT report said.
Jaisalmer and Mount Abu recorded the lowest temperatures of 6.4 and 6 degree Celsius respectively on Saturday night, the report said.
Mercury plummeted at all places by one to six degrees Celsius as light rain occurred in parts of Hadaui region as Jhalawar recorded the most rainfall of 7 mm, the report said.
Mist led to poor visibility up to 1,500 metres, a MeT official said, adding, the weather is not foggy.
Udaipur recorded a minimum temperature of 6.8 degrees Celsius while Jalore, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Chittorgarh, Ganganagar, Pilani, Churu and Jaipur recorded minimum temperatures of 7.5, 7.6, 7.8, 8.4, 8.7, 9.5, 10.6, 11 degrees Celsius respectively.
Light to moderate rain or thundershowers occurred at many places in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours.
According to the MeT department, 7 mm rainfall was recorded in Mahrauni, 6 mm in Lalitpur, 5 mm in Rath, 4 mm in Maharajgunj, 3 mm each in Garotha, Nakur, and Banda, 2 mm each in Bahraich, Kanpur, Fursatgunj, Hardoi, Fatehgarh, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Orai, Bindki, Mahoba, and Kalpi.
The lowest minimum temperature was recorded in Shahjahanpur at 3 degrees Celsius.
Staff Reporter adds fom Dehradun
Snowfall, rain lash Uttarakhand Snowfall, hailstorm and rain lashed across Uttarakhand on Sunday, marking the beginning of the winter season as the temperature across the State dropped by an average of 5 to 7 degrees Celsius.
Snowfall at higher reaches in the State including Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, started on Saturday night. Rudraprayag District Magistrate Raghav Langar said that Kedarnath was receiving continuous snowfall which stood at 2 feet on Sunday.
“The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), which is doing restoration works in [the disaster-affected] Kedar Valley, had to halt their work due to the snowfall,” Mr Langar said.
Amidst snowfall, the winter Char Dham yatra to Kharsali in Uttarkashi district – the winter seat of the Yamunotri shrine’s idol – was inaugurated on Sunday Uttarkashi District Magistrate C. Ravishankar said.
In a fresh move to boost tourism, this year the State Government introduced Char Dham yatra during winters where the annual pilgrimage — undertaken over six months at Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — would continue at the winter abodes of the idols, which are moved out of the snow-bound shrines.
Director of the Dehradun Meteorological Centre Anand Sharma said: “Light rainfall and thundershowers at isolated places might occur in the plain regions and the hill districts of Pithoragarh, Chamoli, and Uttarkashi on Monday. The weather across the State, would start improving from Tuesday.”
On Sunday, Mukteshwar (in Nainital district) received highest rainfall of 27mm in the State, Mr. Sharma said.
