New Delhi, March 8 – Northern states experienced above-average daytime temperatures on Sunday, as the weather department predicted that a new western disturbance would bring rainfall to Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir next week.
In the national capital, Delhi, the maximum temperature reached 35.6 degrees Celsius, 7.2 degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 16.7 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees above the usual.
The city experienced its hottest day in the first week of March in the last 50 years on Saturday, with the daytime temperature reaching 35.7 degrees Celsius.
Among the hill states, Himachal Pradesh experienced "severe heat wave" in Dharamsala and Bhuntar, while "heat wave" was experienced in Sundernagar.
The minimum temperatures for most of the stations in the state were 3-7 degrees above normal, while the maximum temperatures were 3-12 degrees above normal.
The Shimla Meteorological Office issued a yellow warning for heat wave in three districts on Monday: Kangra, Mandi, and Kullu.
Kashmir also experienced above-normal daytime temperatures on Sunday, with temperatures ranging from 9.4 to 10.7 degrees Celsius.
Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 24.3 degrees Celsius, 9.6 degrees above normal.
Pahalgam, a tourist resort in south Kashmir's Anantnag, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a high of 20.8 degrees Celsius, 9.4 degrees above average.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a maximum temperature of 14.2 degrees Celsius, 9.6 degrees more than the season's average.
In the desert state of Rajasthan, the mercury reached 40 degrees Celsius at two locations, while it was close to this figure in many others.
Pilani in Jhunjhunu district was the hottest in the state, recording a maximum temperature of 40.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Barmer at 40 degrees Celsius.
Bikaner recorded 39.4 degrees Celsius, Churu (39.1 degrees), Jaisalmer (39.2 degrees), Jodhpur city (38.8 degrees), Fatehpur-Sikar (38.5 degrees), Vanasthali and Phalodi (38.2 degrees each), Jaipur (37.1 degrees) and Sri Ganganagar and Jhunjhunu (37.4 degrees each).
According to the India Meteorological Department, hot weather conditions are likely to continue in several parts of Rajasthan over the next few days.
Temperatures were also above normal in Punjab and Haryana.
Hisar in Haryana was the warmest in the two states, recording a maximum temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius, which was six notches above normal.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a maximum temperature of 32.3 degrees Celsius, six notches above normal.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 32.3 degrees Celsius, 6 degrees above the seasonal average, while Narnaul hit 36.7 degrees, 5 notches up.
Karnal recorded 31.6 degrees, Gurugram 34.3 degrees, and Bhiwani 36.5 degrees.
In Punjab, Faridkot recorded a high of 33.5 degrees Celsius.
Maximum temperatures in Ludhiana and Patiala were at 33 degrees and 33.1 degrees, both nearly 7 notches above average, while Amritsar recorded a high of 30.7 degrees Celsius, 5 notches above normal.
However, the weather department predicted that a new western disturbance is likely to affect the Western Himalayan region from Monday.
The Shimla Meteorological Office issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds (with speeds ranging from 30-50 kilometers per hour) in six out of the state's 12 districts in the coming days.
Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur, and Lahaul and Spiti are likely to witness thunderstorms on March 11 and 12, according to the forecast.
The Met department also forecast wet weather over the next few days in the Valley.
It said the weather would remain generally cloudy with light rain or snow -- especially in the higher reaches -- at isolated places on Monday.
There is a possibility of light rain or snow at many places in the higher reaches from March 10-12, while a few higher reaches of Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Anantnag may receive moderate snowfall, the forecast said.
There is a possibility of light rain or snow at isolated places in the higher reaches from March 13-17, it added.
The Met office has advised farmers to suspend agricultural activities from March 10-12.
It has also predicted a fall in day temperatures by 4-6 degrees Celsius from March 9-12 at many places.
