Srinagar: Hailstorm struck parts of Uttarakhand and many places in Himachal Pradesh received snowfall today even as weatherman issued an avalanche warning in Jammu and Kashmir.
The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 25.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above season’s average, a day after the city recorded the hottest February day in the past one decade.
The minimum temperature in Delhi was pegged at 16.4 degrees Celsius, five notches above the normal, weather officials said.
Humidity level oscillated between 94 and 57 per cent.
Heavy snowfall occurred in high altitude tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh while the mid and lower hills had widespread rains, further intensifying the cold wave conditions, MeT officials said.
The high altitude tribal areas and high mountain passes recorded 35 to 45 cm of snow, while Kothi recorded 25 cm of fresh snow, followed by Kalpa (8 cm), Keylong (6 cm), and Khadrala and Manali (2 cm each), creating intense cold wave conditions in adjoining valley areas.
Manali which shivered at sub zero temperature was wettest in the region with 44 mm rains.
Shimla recorded a minimum temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius, while the state capital and its surrounding areas were lashed by a thunderstorm accompanied by intermittent rains and sleet, and sky remained heavily overcast, causing fall in mercury.
In J-K, most parts of Kashmir Valley have received intermittent rains since February 17, which continued last night as well.
A weather official said most parts of the Valley received rains overnight, while Pahalgam recorded fresh snowfall of about 20 cm, even as night temperature across Kashmir division, including Ladakh region, went down last night.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 2.7 degrees Celsius, while Leh was the coldest recorded place in J-K at minus 6.7 degrees Celsius followed by Kargil (minus 5.2).
According to an advisory issued by Chandigarh-based Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), a medium danger avalanche warning exists for avalanche prone slopes of Kupwara, Kargil and Bandipora districts of J-K.
In Uttarakhand’s Nainital, a sudden drop in temperature caused by rain proved a happy change from the ever increasing mercury levels. The drizzle continued the whole day.
As per the weather reports, a steady dip in temperature will be seen in next few days with chances of snow in the high peaks of the area.
The minimum temperature continued to hover above normal levels across Punjab and Haryana including Chandigarh.
Chandigarh, which received trace amount of rainfall, recorded a low of 15.5 degrees Celsius, up seven degrees against normal.
In Punjab, Amritsar registered a low of 9 degrees Celsius, while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded 13.1 and 15.8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a low of 15.6 degrees Celsius, while Hisar and Karnal registered 13.5 and 13 degrees Celsius, respectively.