Mercury rises in northern region

New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) People across the northernstates got respite from the cold conditions today as mercuryrecorded an upward movement in the region.

Delhittes witnessed a sunny and pleasant day with themaximum at 26 deg C, four notches above normal and up fromyesterday''s maximum of 24.1 deg C while the low was recordedat 9.3 deg C.

The Kashmir Valley saw a considerable increase innight temperature even as the Met department has predictedfresh snowfall and rain in the region.

"Western disturbances are approaching and rain andsnow is expected at many places from tomorrow evening," a MeTofficial said.

Srinagar witnessed an increase of more than fivedegrees in the night temperature with minimum temperature heresettling at 3 deg C, he said.

The skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir andPahalgam resort in south Kashmir were the only places in theKashmir Valley where mercury stayed below freezing point.

In Gulmarg, night temperature increased by 3.6 notchesand registered a low of minus 2.4 deg C. Pahalgam recorded anincrease of five degrees as the minimum settled there at minus1 deg C.

Ladakh region, however, continued to remain in thegrip of an intense cold wave.

The mid and lower hills of Himachal Pradesh also hadsome respite from the biting cold wave conditions as daytemperatures rose by few notches in the state.

Capital Shimla recorded a warm night with the minimumtemperature rising to 9.8 deg C, 8.4 degree above normal whilethe maximum temperature touched 19.6 deg C, 10.5 degree abovenormal.

Night temperature also rose at Palampur and Nahanwhich recorded 9 deg C and 7 deg C, respectively.

Mandi recorded a maximum of 25.6 deg C, followed bySolan at 24.8 deg C, Una at 24.2 deg C, Nahan at 21.3 deg C,Dharamshala at 20.6 deg C and Bhuntar at 20.1 deg C.

While the day temperatures stayed three to 10.5 degreeabove normal, the minimum temperatures were close to normalexcept in Shimla and Palampur.

Cold conditions also relented in most parts of Punjaband Haryana with minimum temperature rising in the region.

Chandigarh recorded a minimum of 9.2 deg C, up by twonotches, the Met said. (More) PTI TEAM