New Delhi, Nov 16: Several high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh were wrapped in thick white sheets of snow, with many tourist destinations like Kufri, Manali and Auli receiving the season’s first snowfall, while temperatures dipped in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab following rains.
Heavy snowfall and landslides in the Union Territory forced closure of the important Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban and authorities in Kashmir have issued an avalanche warning for four districts — Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla and Ganderbal. The Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath and Yamunotri in Uttarakhand closed for the winters amid heavy snowfall in the upper reaches of the state.
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 25.8 degrees Celsius, the lowest this season so far, following rains under the influence of a Western Disturbance. However, the minimum temperature rose to 16 degrees Celsius, the highest since October 22, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
IMD officials attributed the drop in the maximum temperature and the increase in the minimum temperature to the presence of clouds in the region under the influence of the Western Disturbance.
Until now, Delhi had been witnessing a trend of low minimum temperatures this month due to the absence of cloud cover. Clouds trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation and radiate it back downward, warming the ground.
The minimum temperature is likely to drop below the 10 degrees Celsius mark by Friday, according to the IMD. (PTI)
