Back to hot days in North India: Hottest night in Kashmir

New Delhi, May 3 (UNI) Summer heat returned to most parts of North and Northwest India after unexpected showers had brought down temperatures yesterday while the Kashmir Valley experienced the hottest night of the season.

The temperature increased in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh but declined in Punjab as heat wave conditions abated from the region.

The temperatures rose in certain areas of Himachal Pradesh with Bhuntar in Kullu district recording 32.1 degrees, two degrees above normal. In Shimla, the maximum temperature soared to 24.4 degree C after isolated rains in several areas of Himachal Pradesh yesterday.

In Punjab, the temperature plummeted to 38.2 degrees C from 42.6 degrees at Amritsar, providing respite to people from scorching heat wave. The temperature also fell at Ludhiana and remained static at Patiala following rain. Ludhiana recorded 36.8 degrees and Patiala 36.7 degrees which were respectively one degree and two degrees below normal.

The Kashmir valley recorded the hottest night of this season so far with the minimum temperature recorded at 15.2 degrees. However, people of the Kashmir valley had some relief from the heat after the maximum fell to 23.9 degrees about two degrees above normal.

In the national capital, the day temperature rose from 32.3 degrees Celsius yesterday to 39.4 degrees today, largely due to abatement of the easterly winds that had yesterday helped to bring down the mercury to nearly seven degrees below normal.

''The current meteorological analysis suggests gradual rise in day temperature over Delhi and other parts of Northwest India during the next two to three days,'' the Met office said.

While the heat wave continued unabated in Nasik region of Maharashtra with the temperature hovering between 40 and 41.4 degree during the last three days, unexpected showers dropped the temperature in Vidarbha region, bringing relief from the oppressive heat.

In Nasik, the load shedding in city areas have added to the woes of the people and power cuts of around 10-12 hours in the rural areas is making life miserable for the people.

In Vidarbha, however, the mercury fell yesterday after hovering around the 45 degrees mark for the past week. According to the met department, the rainfall was occurring due to low-level cyclonic circulation and was likely to recur over the next few days.

Madhya Pradesh had a respite from the intense heat as clouds enveloped the sky in the state capital and other regions of the state, which had been reeling under about 45 degrees since the beginning of this month.

Sudden downpour in some parts of Chennai brought a brief respite for the people from the scorching sun this morning, which was decreased in mercury levels. According to Met officials, the rains were a result of upper air trough over the region.

Rainfall also occurred at a few places over Interior Tamil Nadu, Kerala and South Interior Karnataka. Isolated rain occurred over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the last 24 hours. Mainly dry weather prevailed over Rayalaseema, North Interior Karnataka and Lakshadweep.

Heat wave conditions prevailed in most parts of Rajasthan and in some parts of north Madhya Maharashtra and at isolated places in Punjab, Gujarat, and Vidarbha.

Light to moderate rain or thundershowers at many places in Himachal Pradesh and few places in Haryana and Punjab have been predicted during the next 24 hours.

Rain or thundershowers are also likely to occur at most places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and at a few places in Lakshadweep, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Telangana and Karnataka.

Mainly dry weather will prevail over Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Konkan and Goa.

UNI