M A I N   N E W S

Temperature plummets by 9°C

Chandigarh, April 17
Several places of the northwest region received rain for the sixth consecutive day today while the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh had snow, plummeting the temperatures by as many as nine degrees at some places.

According to the Director of the Meteorological Department here, Mr S.C. Bhan, the current change in weather has been caused by “the western disturbance over north Pakistan adjoining Jammu and Kashmir and upper air cyclonic circulation over Punjab and adjoining north Rajasthan which is likely to continue over the next 48 hours.”

Meanwhile, overcast conditions prevailed in the city since early this morning and it received 3.4 mm of rain during the past 24 hours. Looking at the statistics provided by the Weather Department, the city has received an average rainfall close to 20 mm in April during the last decade. The year 1998 saw highest rainfall at 49.8 mm with no rainfall the following year.

The city until this morning had already measured a rainfall of 6.9 mm. The maximum temperature recorded here yesterday was 30.8°C, which was four degrees below normal. The minimum was recorded at 17.4°C.

In Punjab, Amritsar received 12 mm of rainfall and the maximum here witnessed a drop by four degrees to settle at 30.1°C. Patiala and Ludhiana received rainfall of 14.3 and 27.8 mm and the low at these places was recorded at 17°C and 14.3°C.

In Haryana, Ambala received a rainfall of 5.9 mm and the low here was at 16.8°C. The maximum dropped by four degrees to settle at 32.3°C. Hisar which made people sweat just a week back, recorded high at a cool 32.5°C, four degrees below normal, and the minimum stood at 19.3°C. Rainfall was measured at 1.6 mm.

Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, received 2.8 mm of rain. Overcast conditions prevailed since early this morning and the low here dipped to 8.4°C. The maximum was recorded four degrees below normal at 15.1°C. Sunder Nagar recorded a low of 15.6°C and a high of 25°C. Bhuntar received 3 mm of rain and low was recorded at 12°C.

In the higher reaches of Himachal, Bhang in Manali, Solang Nullah and Dhundi received a rainfall of 6mm, 7mm and 8mm, respectively. Patsio and other tribal belts of the state reported snowfall today.

In Jammu and Kashmir, its summer capital Srinagar received 2 mm of rain and the low here stood at 10.7°C.

Reports of snow were received from higher reaches in the state. Himmat received 0.9 cm of snow, Zamidar Khan Gali-12 cm, Hadantaj-2cm, Nalpasa-4 cm, Gujal-24 cm and Farkian got 6 cm of snow until this morning.

In Delhi, Safdarjung and Palam received a rainfall of 26.1 and 20.2 mm respectively. The maximum and minimum temperatures recorded at these places were 33.8°C, 34.5°C, and 19.5°C and 19.3°C. UNI