New Delhi, April 4 – Fresh snowfall occurred in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, as a wet spell gripped northern India, bringing rainfall to parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
Rain and hailstorms continued intermittently across northern states this week, with wheat growers in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan facing significant crop losses.
Meanwhile, the national capital experienced rain in isolated areas between Friday and Saturday. However, the city's maximum temperature dropped due to persistent cloudy conditions throughout the day.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the snowfall also led to the closure of several key inter-district roads, according to officials.
The Met Office warned of brief but intense heavy showers in isolated areas, which could lead to flash floods and landslides in vulnerable locations, as well as waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Sadhna Top and other higher reaches in Kupwara, the Mughal Road in Shopian, the Margan Top connecting Anantnag with Kishtwar, and Razdan Top, Gurez, and Tulail in Bandipora district, received fresh overnight snowfall.
The Affarwat mountain in Gulmarg tourist resort, the Sonamarg-Zojila axis, and some other hilly areas of the valley also experienced snowfall.
The plains of the valley, including the summer capital Srinagar, received rainfall.
The wet weather caused a drop in the daytime temperature across the valley, forcing people to wear multiple layers to stay warm.
Similarly, both the maximum and minimum temperatures decreased in Himachal Pradesh, with light to moderate rain and snowfall observed in several areas.
The Shimla Meteorological Office issued an orange alert for hailstorms, thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds (40 to 50 kmph) in the Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fresh snowfall was observed in the higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu over the past 24 hours since Friday evening. The weather department also predicted a wet spell in the state until April 10.
In the national capital, the minimum temperature rose to 20.7 degrees Celsius, which is 1.9 degrees above normal and 1.5 degrees higher than the previous day. In contrast, the maximum temperature reached 32 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal and one degree lower than the day before.
Mahesh Palawat, Vice President at Skymet, stated, "This is due to the presence of cloud cover, which results in reduced heat penetration during the day and less heat escaping from the Earth's surface at night."
Additionally, Delhi's air quality significantly improved due to fresh showers and strong winds the day before. The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was reported at 137 (moderate) at 4 pm on Saturday, compared to an AQI of 266 (poor) recorded at the same time on Friday, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
According to CPCB standards, an AQI of 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
In Punjab, the average maximum temperature dropped by 0.7 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day, remaining 2.6 degrees below normal, while in Haryana, it saw a drop of 0.9 degrees and remained 1.8 degrees Celsius below normal.
Rainfall was recorded in Pathankot, Rupnagar, Amritsar, Fazilka, and Ferozepur in Punjab, as well as Haryana's Mahendragarh and Yamunanagar.
Parts of Rajasthan recorded rainfall and strong winds over the past 24 hours due to a cyclonic circulation, with more thunderstorms and hail activity forecasted for the region in the coming days, the IMD said on Saturday.
"A new and strong western disturbance is likely to become active over parts of Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions from the afternoon of April 6, leading to a high possibility of thunderstorm and rainfall activity in some areas," the IMD said.
The peak impact of the cyclone is expected on April 7. "Under its activity, several parts of Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Jaipur, Bharatpur and Kota divisions are likely to experience strong thunderstorms, gusty winds of 50-60 kmph, moderate to heavy rainfall and isolated hailstorms," it said.
"Farmers are advised to cover harvested crops and grains kept in open areas or shift them to safe storage to prevent damage due to rain and hail," the weather office said.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot demanded immediate financial assistance for farmers affected by unseasonal rain and hailstorms in parts of the state, saying the damage has caused a crisis for farmers.
"In some parts of the state, unseasonal rain and hailstorms have brought disaster upon farmers. Wheat and isabgol crops have been damaged in Bikaner division, while in Nagaur, crops like isabgol, cumin, wheat and fennel have suffered heavy losses," he said.
The IMD on Friday said temperatures are likely to remain below normal or near normal over most parts of the country in the next few days.
In March, eight western disturbances impacted the country, against the normal of five or six, it said.