Rainfall affected Delhi-NCR throughout Friday, with the city recording its highest December rainfall in 15 years and temperatures plummeting to 14.6°C, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The rain began early Thursday at around 2.30 am and continued throughout the day. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that in the last 24 hours, until 8.30 am on Friday, Delhi received 9.1 mm of rain.

Due to the declining temperatures and light rain, Delhi Airport authorities issued an advisory for passengers, informing them about the ongoing low visibility procedures. However, flight operations were not impacted. Passengers were advised to contact their respective airlines for updated flight information.

In Rajasthan, cold conditions persisted, with light to moderate rainfall in several areas. Punjab and Haryana also experienced rainfall, causing temperatures to drop sharply.

Chandigarh, which was hit by a hailstorm, recorded a maximum temperature of 15.9°C.

Himachal Pradesh

The weather department announced on Friday that heavy snowfall and cold waves will persist in Himachal Pradesh and issued an “orange alert” for snowfall and cold waves in the state on Saturday.

The state has already experienced heavy rainfall and snowfall across six districts, prompting the IMD to extend the orange alert for the next 24 hours.

The affected districts include Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Shimla, and Kinnaur, where significant weather changes have been observed since early morning.

Shobhit Katiyar, Senior Scientist at the Himachal Pradesh Meteorological Department, shared updates on the situation.

Heavy snowfall is expected tonight in six districts, particularly in high-altitude areas, with conditions likely to worsen by morning. Some locations may experience intense snowfall. Light to moderate rain and snowfall are predicted across most of the state tomorrow.

Jammu and Kashmir

Several regions of Kashmir experienced fresh snowfall on Friday, many places receiving their first snowfall of the season, with a slight rise in minimum temperatures across the valley.

Kashmir is currently in the midst of ‘Chillai-Kalan‘, the harshest winter phase, which began on December 21.

According to weather officials quoted by news agency PTI, snowfall was recorded in Jammu and Kashmir in Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Gurez, the Zojila axis, Sadhna Top, Mughal Road, and various areas in Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts.

The plains of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, and Pulwama districts saw their first snowfall of the season.

The snowfall led to the closure of both the Srinagar-Leh Highway and the Mughal Road.

The cold temperatures caused water supply lines to freeze and formed a thin layer of ice on several water bodies, including Dal Lake.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius on Thursday night, a slight drop from the previous night’s minus 7 degrees Celsius, according to the MeT department.

Gulmarg, known for its skiing activities, recorded a low of minus 6 degrees Celsius, the same as the previous night.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)