Rainfall revives chilly conditions

New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) A snowslide killed a Junior Commissioned Officer at a forward post in Poonch district today.

Subedar Ghana Oaron, a Vir Chakra awardee, got buried under a snowslide late while performing his duty, a spokesman said.

Shimla and its adjoining areas experienced fresh snowfall early today plummeting temperatures and intensifying cold wave conditions in Himachal Pradesh.

The minimum temperature fell to zero degree in the capital town which was also pounded by rain.

Moderate to heavy snowfall lashed the tribal districts of Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur and Pangi and Bharmour areas in Chamba district, intensifying cold wave in the tribal belt. The mercury hovered between minus 15 degrees and minus 25 degrees in the tribal areas where all lakes and natural water sources have frozen.

The 13050-foot high Rohtang Pass, access to tribal Lahaul Spiti district, and Dhauladhar mountain ranges, also had snowfall, reviving cold wave conditions in Kullu and Kangra valleys. The cold wave is likely to extend to more parts of Himachal Pradesh.

Heavy rain lashed mid and lower hills of Himachal Pradesh, including Dharamshala, Palampur, Solan and Nahan. Pandoh, Rampur, Bhuntar, Suni, Kasol and Barthin. Sundernagar, Sujanpur Tira, Naudan, Guler and Nagrota Surian also had rainfall .

Rains also lashed parts of Punjab abd Haryana.

In Uttar Pradesh, heavy rainfall lashed Lucknow early today, bringing a chill in the air.

The rainfall, which was accompanied by strong thundershowers, led to a chilly start to the day for Lucknowites. The sun was visible only in the latter half of the day. Two children were buried alive when a wall of their house collapsed due to heavy snowfall in Madiaon here.

Night temperatures fell in Agra, Allahabad, Lucknow, Jhansi, Faisabad, Gorakhpur and Kanpur divisions.

A day after the national capital was lashed by moderate to heavy showers, which plummeted the mercury by about five degrees Celsius, Delhiites woke up to another chilly day with the weathermen forecasting a few more spells of rainfall later tonight or tomorrow.

The minimum temperature dropped to 14.9 degrees, from over 16 degrees yesterday. However, with the South Easterlies lending a chill to the air, the day temperature dropped to 22 degrees , which was three degrees below normal.

Continuing rains and partly cloudy skies in Rajasthan have brought a turnaround in the weather with temperatures tumbling down two to three degrees Celsius.

Jodhpur recorded maximum rainfall measuring 23.7 mm till 0830 hrs in the morning. It is raining across the state from North to South and East to West.

The Met office recorded 8.6 mm rainfall in the state capital, bringing down the minimum temperature to 13.2 degrees from yesterday's 16 degrees . The rain and thunder storm which hit the city yesterday have brought back a nip in the air.

The sky was cloudy in Imphal.

There was a slight drizzle, Met officials said.

The minimum temperature was about 8 degree Celsius, while the maximum was about 26 degrees.

UNI