Weather disruption recorded all over Northern India, snowfall in Kashmir, rains lash Punjab | Full report

A day after MeT department issued rain and thunderstorm warnings for major parts of North India including- Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi among others- all regions are experiencing change in weather conditions today.

The change in weather is being attributed to the "an active western disturbance that lies over central parts of Afghanistan at present. It is most likely to move over northwest India during the next 48 hours".

Rains are likely to lash the national capital today and tomorrow as it finds itself engulfed in hailstorm and strong winds in some parts along-with adjoining areas of Western Uttar Pradesh.

UTTARAKHAND

Parts of Uttarakhand like Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Dehradun, Pauri, Haridwar and Nanital are witnessing heavy rainfall today accompanied by hailstorm.

Wrapped in snow, Hindu pilgrimage site Kedarnath also welcomed an untimely change in the weather today.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Queen of Hills and Himachal's capital city Shimla wears a snow cloak today, giving it a breath-taking picturesque look.

Shimla recorded a minimum temperature of 1.1 degrees Celsius, while it was minus one degree in Kalpa in Kinnaur district.

Shimla received fresh snowfall today. (ANI image)

Lower areas of the state like Dharamsala, Palampur, Solan, Nahan, Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur and Mandi towns received rain, bringing down the temperature considerably.

RAINS IN PARTS OF HIMACHAL

Highest rainfall was recorded at Sangraha at 31 mm.

Whereas rainfall at major stations has been recorded at:

Nahan-23.1 mm, Solan- 21.0mm, Dharmsala- 20.0 mm, Berthin- 18.2 mm,Dharampur- 15.2 mm,Hamirpur- 15 mm,Kotkhai- 15.0 mm,Naina Devi- 12.2 mm,Manali- 9 mm,Una- 7 mm,

Shimla - 5.8 mm, Mandi-2.1 mm,Bhunter - 2 mm.

Snowfall recorded at Keylong -11.0 cm,Kalpa - 1.6 cm,Kothi - 15cm,Bharmaur- 10 cm,Theog- 3cm,Jubbal- 1.3 cm, Mashobara- 0.5 cm.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Fresh snowfall was recorded in many areas of Jammu and Kashmir - temporarily snapping its links with the rest of the country as the arterial Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was forced shut today.

A car drives by as it snows in Kashmir. (Reuters image)

Vehicular movement has been hit as the authorities are baracading the Nagrota check post in Jammu and Qazigun. All flight operations have also been affected with visibility dropping on runway dropping to 600 metres.

PUNJAB AND HARYANA

Ending a prolonged dry spell, rainfall today lashed several areas in Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh, Ambala, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pathankot and Bathinda.

The rainfall has brought cheer to farmers as the current wet spell is considered highly beneficial for wheat and other crops.

Ambala (12 C), Hisar (12.6 C), Karnal (10.5 C), Rohtak (11.4 C), Narnaul (10.6 C) and Bhiwani (12.3 C) in Haryana registered above normal minimum temperature.

MAHARASHTRA

Unseasonal hailstorm and rains in parts of the state not only damaged crops but also claimed a life in Jalna district a day ago. Crops like wheat, orange and grapes were severely damaged in some areas, an official in the agriculture department said.

Dhule, Nandurbar, Beed and Jalna districts witnessed the spell of rain and hailstorms. The Maharashtra government had urged farmers to prepare for untimely rains and hailstorm for the next few days.

A similar weather pattern may be witnessed in Jharkhand, interior Odisha, central Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh over the next two days.