Delhiites shiver, stay indoors

New Delhi, Feb 11 (UNI) Delhiites woke up to moderate showers today bringing in their wake a severe chill.

The roads wore a deserted look as much of the city remained confimed in the comfort of blankets and bonfires.

The weather played a spoilsport to compulsive outgoers on a Sunday. With two days left before Valentines Day, many would have preferred to spend their weekend shopping.

With the cold South Easterly winds, rains since early yesterday morning, led to the return of freezing temperatures in the Capital after unusually warm weather in the last week of January.

Rains and thunderstorms brought down the maximum temperature to 20.0 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 13.6 degrees celsius.

About 28 mm of rainfall was recorded till 1730 hrs, the weathermen said, attributied the fresh spell of rain and thundershowers to the influence of a fresh Western disturbance originating from Pakistan.

The coming days could see more showers. The met office has forecast more showers and thunderstorms at many places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh.

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

Weathermen have also forecast hailstorms in some areas of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh in the next 24 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 hailstorms and thundersqualls in some areas.

UNI