Day temperatures rise across north

New Delhi: Day temperatures across northern states rose slightly on a clear day today, while the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh were still in the grip of biting cold.

Strong northwesterly winds clocking 18-25 kmh swept across the national capital, reducing humidity, which was recorded between 33 per cent and 67 per cent.

The city registered a maximum of 25.1 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 12.4 degrees Celsius.

Biting cold conditions continued unabated in higher hills and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, while the minimum temperature plummeted in mid and lower hills and stayed below 5 degree Celsius.

Mercury stayed 15 to 20 degrees below the freezing point in high altitude tribal areas, while Keylong and Kalpa in tribal Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts recorded a low of minus 10.1 and minus 1.6 degrees Celsius.

Manali shivered at minus 0.2, while Shimla and Bhuntar recorded a low of 4.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Solan 4.3, Palampur 4.5, Sundernagar 4.6, Una 6.9, Nahan 8.6 and Dharamsala 10.6 degrees Celsius.

The MeT office has predicted dry weather in the region on February 25 and 26 and rain and snow at isolated places for four days from February 27 onwards due to Western Disturbance.

Una was hottest in the region with a high of 25.8 degrees Celsius, followed by Bhuntar 23.5, Sundernagar 22.8, Nahan 21.9, Solan 21.7, Dharmshala 18.6, Manali 15.4, Shimla 14.5 and Kalpa 12 degrees Celsius.

Minimum temperatures dropped in many parts of Punjab and Haryana today with Hisar being the coldest in the region at 7 degrees Celsius.

While Karnal had a low of 7.5 degrees Celsius, Amritsar and Ludhiana had an identical minimum of 7.8 degrees Celsius.

Among other places, Patiala settled at a low of 9.5 degrees Celsius followed by 10.9 degrees Celsius at Chandigarh and 11.5 degrees Celsius at Ambala.

The Met department has forecast dry weather in the region during the next 48 hours.