Moderate showers lash Delhi, mercury drops to 17.2 Degrees C

New Delhi, Feb 10 (UNI) Moderate showers lashed Delhi today, bringing in its wake a severe chill to send Delhiites in a freeze.

Together with the cold South Easterly winds, the rains, which began early this morning, led to a return to freezing cold weather in the Capital, after unusually warm weather in the last week of January.

The rain and thunderstorms accompanying it brought down the maximum temperature to 17.2 Degree Celsius, six degrees below normal.

About 20 mm of rainfall was recorded till 1730 hours, weathermen said.

Weathermen attribute the fresh spell of rain and thundershowers to the influence of a fresh Western disturbance originating from Pakistan.

The coming days could see more spells of rainfall with the weather office forecasting further showers and thunderstorms at many places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh.

There was also a likelihood of a further drop in day temperatures in the next few days, indicating an intensification of chill in the coming days.

Weathermen have also forecast hailstorms in some areas in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh in the next 48 hours.

The Met office has forecast a generally cloudy sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours with more spells of rain and thundershowers and possibility of hailstorm and thundersqualls in some areas.

Today's showers came after a short burst of light rains and thunderstorms on Tuesday evening which led to a return to chill in Delhi after a couple of weeks of unusually warm weather.

UNI