New Delhi: Snowfall in higher reaches of
Himachal Pradesh and isolated showers in many parts of north
India brought significant decline in day temperatures across
the region.
Keylong in Himachal`s Lahaul and Spiti district
experienced 5 cm of snow while Kalpa in neighbouring Kinnaur
witnessed heavy sleet (24mm), MeT officials said.
Mandi, Dharamsala and Sundernagar experienced 26 mm, 38
mm and 30 mm of rains respectively, while day temperature
hovered around 24 degrees or less in many parts of the region,
which was around 6 deg below Saturday`s readings.
State capital Shimla also experienced thunderstorm.
In the national capital, rain gauges measured 2.8 mm
rainfall between 8:30 pm on Saturday evening and 5:30 pm on Sunday which brought chill in the air and pulled down the mercury, MeT
officials said.
Most areas of the city experienced rainfall this
afternoon, while some parts received light showers last night
as well as in the morning.
The rains also created problems for commuters as
vehicular traffic was affected in many parts of the city.
The maximum was recorded at 36.4 deg Cel which is normal
for this time of the year. The night temperature was 22.6 deg
C.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national
highway, connecting the Valley with the rest of the country,
was closed for vehicular traffic due pieces of rocks falling
from hilltops in the wake of landslides triggered by heavy
rain in Ramban district.
The highway was closed at 1500 hours due to landslides
caused by heavy rains in Panthal area, 180 kms from Jammu,
Police Control Room officials said. Due to closure of
traffic, over 100 vehicles are stranded in Ramban.
Rains also lashed parts of Punjab and Haryana but it made
farmers worried as wheat harvesting picks up in the two
agrarian states.
Light showers drenched Chandigarh while neighbouring
Ambala and Panchkula in Haryana also received light rain,
according to MeT officials in Delhi.
Hisar received 4.2 mm of rain, Gurgaon 1 mm while
Bhiwani and Kurukshetra also received showers. In Punjab,
Amritsar received 4.6 mm of rain, Ludhiana 2.2 mm, Ropar 2 mm.
"The rain at early stage of wheat crop is beneficial, but
rain and windy weather during these days can cause great
damage to the ripe crop," Sukhdev Singh, a Jalandhar-based
farmer, said.
With produce reaching various grain markets for
procurement, rains at this stage can also increase the
problems of storage, he said.
The weatherman said that change in weather was due to a
Western Disturbance over Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining
areas.
In Uttarakhand, Dehra Dun and its adjoining areas were
hit by hailstorm, causing damage to litchi and mango crops.
The hailstorm for about 15-20 minutes this evening also
brought down the temperature by 5 to 6 degrees.
According to the Weatherman, similar weather condition is
likely to continue tomorrow.
PTI
