Mercury dips in north after weekend showers

Temperatures stayed below normal today in many parts of northern India after scattered weekend rainfall in the region served to rein back the rising mercury.
The maximum was recorded four notches below normal at 36.4 degrees Celsius in Delhi as the city received 12.6-mm rainfall between 8:30 A.M. Yesterday till 8.30 A.M. Today.
The minimum settled at 21.4 degrees, six points below normal.
Rain and thundershowers occurred at isolated places in Uttar Pradesh today with day temperatures falling in many divisions of the state.
Gorakhpur received 40-mm showers followed by Basti and Meerut, both of which got 20-mm rainfall.
The day temperature fell appreciably in the Faizabad, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow and Jhansi divisions and was markedly below normal in the Kanpur and Jhansi divisions.

The hottest place in the state was Lakhimpur Kheri which sizzled at 42.4 degrees.

The maximum also dipped marginally across the two neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana a day after the region was hit by dust storms and light rain.
Their common capital and the Union Territory of Chandigarh saw the mercury touching 37.8 degrees, one notch below normal.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 37.3 degrees, three notches below normal, while the maximum in Karnal was at 37 degrees, three points below normal. The mercury in Hisar touched 39.7 degrees.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a high of 37.8 degrees, down two notches, while the mercury in Ludhiana was one notch below normal at of 38.5 degrees.

But despite squalls and thundershowers in parts of Rajasthan yesterday, the heatwave intensified in the state as the temperature rose by one to three degrees at most places in its north-western parts.
Barmer sizzled at 45.2 degrees while Jaisalmer recorded a maximum of 44.3 degrees followed by Jodhpur (43.7), Kota, Bikaner, Churu (42.6 each), and Jaipur (40.8).
Due to an upper air cyclonic system and partial western disturbance which hit Hadauti region yesterday, Bundi recorded 6-mm rainfall followed by Rawatbhata (0.9-mm) and Kota (0.5-mm) till 8.30 A.M. Today.