New Delhi: Most of north India on Saturday saw an upward surge in the mercury with minimum temperatures rising as sky remained overcast in many parts amid predictions of rains.
Delhi got relief from the dense fog which had hit rail and air traffic yesterday, while temperatures rose above normal under partially cloudy skies.
The maximum in Delhi was recorded three degrees above normal at 24.2 degrees while the minimum was up one notch from the normal at 9.4 degrees Celsius.
The weatherman has predicted a foggy morning and a cloudy day tomorrow with the possibility of rain or thundershowers in the evening or at night.
Up in the Himalayas, Kashmir got a much-needed respite from a two-month long chill as night temperatures rose by several degrees across the Valley.
The minimum in the summer capital of Srinagar jumped five places to touch 3.1 degrees Celsius with the forecast for the Valley hinting at a chance of light rain or snowfall over the coming 24 hours.
In Himachal Pradesh, the intense cold eased marginally as minimum temperatures increased by two to five degrees along with a slight rise in the maximum.
The change in weather follows on the heels of warnings by the local MeT office of heavy rain and snowfall in the region from February 4 to February 6.
The minimum temperatures rose by five degrees at Keylong to stay at -5.9 degrees while the mercury in Manali was at 2 degrees Celsius after registering a jump of five notches.
The skies remained overcast throughout the day and sunshine eluded the region with heavy snowfall and thunderstorms expected in the higher hills of the state over the coming days.
People in Punjab and Haryana, too, experienced a welcome change as minimum temperature rose by 2-7 notches above normal in both the states.
In Chandigarh, the mercury was up by four degrees over yesterday and six above normal to settle at 13 degrees Celsius while minimum temperatures in places like Ludhiana and Patiala registered improvement by six to seven notches.
The minimum in Haryana`s Hisar rose by eight notches over yesterday to settle at 13.6 degrees Celsius while in Narnaul, it was at 8.6 degrees, four notches above normal.
Fog was reported in places like Chandigarh, Ludhiana,
Karnal and Ambala with the MeT office forecasting light showers at isolated places across both the states.
Also in the plains, the weather was mainly dry in Uttar Pradesh where the minimum registered a rise in several areas of the state.
Temperatures improved appreciably in Moradabad, Agra and Meerut divisions with the lowest in the state recorded at 6.1 degrees Celsius in Etawah. The MeT office said there was chance of rain/thundershowers at several places in western UP between February 4-6.
In Rajasthan, the minimum hovered between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius across the state where Sri Ganganagar was the coldest recorded place at 8 degrees Celsius.
PTI
