Rain, thundershowers plummet mercury in Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 28 (UNI) With the festival of Holi around the corner, fresh spells of rain and thundershowers in the Capital today brought a slight chill to the weather.

Rainfall in the early hours of the morning was followed by a heavily overcast sky. Strong thundershowers since last evening also plummetted the mercury level in the Capital.

Although the rise in minimum temperature in Delhi was at 16.2 Degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal, rain and thundershowers led to a drop in maximum temperature by several degrees, from 28 Degree Celsius recorded yesterday.

A total of 12 mm of rainfall was recorded till 1430 hrs.

Weathermen attributed the fresh spell of rainfall in Delhi to the influence of a fresh Western disturbance.

The coming days could witness more rain and thundershowers with weathermen forecasting some heavy spells of rain in Delhi and other parts of Northwest India during the next 24 hours under the influence of a Western disturbance.

''The Western disturbance and its induced upper air cyclonic circulation is still affecting Northwest India. The current Meteorological Analysis suggests that ongoing widespread rainfall and snow is likely to continue over the Western Himalayan region during the next 24 hours.

Fairly widespread rain is also likely over the plains of Northwest India till tomorrow.

The Met office has forecast a generally cloudy sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours with possibility of rain and thundershowers. Rains could also be accompanied by hailstorms and thundersqualls.

UNI