New Delhi, April 4 – Heavy rainfall and snowfall were reported in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as a wet spell affected northern India, bringing rain to parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
Rain and hailstorms continued intermittently across northern states this week, causing significant crop damage for wheat growers in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
The national capital experienced isolated rainfall during the night between Friday and Saturday. However, the maximum temperature dropped due to persistent cloudy conditions.
In Jammu and Kashmir, snowfall also closed several important inter-district roads, according to officials.
The Met Office warned of brief but heavy showers in isolated areas, which could lead to flash floods and landslides in vulnerable locations and waterlogging in low-lying areas.
Areas like Sadhna Top, Mughal Road in Shopian, Margan Top connecting Anantnag with Kishtwar, and Razdan Top, Gurez, and Tulail in Bandipora district received fresh overnight snowfall.
Gulmarg tourist resort, the Sonamarg-Zojila axis, and other hilly areas of the valley also experienced snowfall.
Rainfall was also reported in the plains of the valley, including the summer capital Srinagar.
The wet weather led to a drop in daytime temperatures as people had to wear multiple layers to stay warm.
Similarly, both 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 with speeds of 40 to 50 kmph in the Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Shimla districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fresh snowfall was reported in the higher reaches of Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu since Friday evening. The weather department also predicted continued rainfall in the state until April 10.
The minimum temperature in New Delhi 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, said, "This is due to cloud cover, which means less heat penetrates during the day and less heat escapes from the earth's surface at night."
Additionally, the air quality in Delhi improved significantly due to fresh showers and gusty winds the previous day. 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 the 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'.
Parts of Rajasthan recorded rainfall and gusty winds over the past 24 hours due to a cyclonic circulation, with more thunderstorms and hail activity forecast 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.