Rains drench northern India

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Light to heavy rains todaylashed most parts of the northern region, including thenational capital, bringing down day temperatures across theplains.

Intermittent showers drenched Delhi for the secondsuccessive day with the city receiving a total of 11.6 mm ofrains since yesterday till 5:30 pm.

The minimum was recorded at 14.6 deg C, which was fourdegrees above normal while the maximum temperature settled at18.1 deg C as against yesterday''s 22.2 deg C.

Rains occurred in most parts of Punjab and Haryana,even as minimum temperature rose upto four degrees Celsius atmany places in the region.

As the sky remained overcast, the minimum temperaturehovered between two to four degrees Celsius above normal inthe region, the Met office said.

Narnaul received 17 mm of rains followed by Rohtak12.8 mm, Ludhiana and Karnal 5.4 mm each and Hisar 3.2 mm.Amritsar was coldest in the plains of Punjab andHaryana with 8.5 deg C, which was however, two notches abovenormal. Patiala settled at a low of 12.2 deg C, two notchesabove normal, while Ludhiana and Narnaul both were at 12.5 degC, four notches above normal.

Rohtak was at 12.6 deg C, followed by Hisar 13.1 degC, Chandigarh and Karnal each at 13.4 deg C. With 14.2 deg CAmbala was at four notches above normal.

Overnight rains lashed parts of Rajasthan whereBharatpur received maximum rainfall of 24.4 mm.

Ajmer received 21.9 mm rainfall while Jaipur recorded17.8 mm rainfall, followed by Pilani and Jodhpur at 10.2 mmeach. Sikar, Jalore, Barmer, Vanasthali, Churu recorded 9 mm,6.4 mm, 5.6 mm, 4.8mm and 2 mm of rainfall, respectively.

Meanwhile, parts of the desert state recorded nighttemperatures in the range of 10.8 deg C and 17.5 deg C.

The showers brought down day temperatures but themercury is likely to rise after the Western disturbance ebbsaway, they said.

Rains lashed the mid and lower hills in HimachalPradesh, while intermittent snowfall occurred for the fourthday today in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh.

Avalanche threat loomed large in high altitude tribalareas and people were advised to avoid venturing out duringthe day time.

The high reaches around Manali, including FriendshipPeak, Ladakhi Peak Shitidhar, Mukerbeh and Shikherbeh peaks,received snowfall ranging between 250 cm and 300 cm, while theSolang slopes near Manali and Rohtang Pass were covered under150 cm and 200 cm of snow. (More) PTI TEAM