By IANS
New Delhi/Shimla : North India witnessed a respite from last week’s scorching heat in a cascading effect after heavy rains and hailstorms lashed Shimla in Himachal Pradesh early Wednesday.
Light rains and strong breeze in Delhi and Agra late Wednesday morning brought down temperatures and cheered people in the capital who had been staying indoors due to the searing heat.
Foreign tourists in the city of Taj Mahal, who had been avoiding visits to the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, too welcomed the unexpected relief.
In Delhi the mercury dropped by nearly 8 degrees celsius Wednesday – to 32 degrees celsius from 40.5 degrees celsius on Tuesday – six notches below normal temperature.
“It was a great respite for me. As I am from Kashmir, I have never been exposed to such scorching heat. Am sure like me many people must be enjoying the weather,” said Rahul Silhatiya, a resident of Rohini in northwest Delhi.
“After almost 15 days, we could manage to go out and enjoy ourselves. Since today is a holiday due to Budha Purnima, my friends and I went to a park to play cricket. The weather is amazing,” said Rohit Mohapatra, adding, “I hope it continues for a few more days”.
In Agra, for the past few days tourists were having a tough time because of oppressive heat. The number of foreign tourists had also come down significantly.
Susan, a foreign tourist said she had come “prepared with an umbrella and several bottles of mineral water to negotiate the dry weather. But the sudden turn in weather conditions has come as a great relief”.
Pleasant weather has come as much-needed respite to the citizens of Agra too who have been facing serious power and water shortages.
In Shimla, rains and hailstorms were accompanied by regular claps of thunder as the cold returned, forcing many to pull out their woollens.
On Tuesday, the temperature crossed the 25 degree celsius mark while the minimum temperature rose to 17 degrees celsius for the second day in a row.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) the low-pressure area created over northwest India is leading to the cooling effect.
“The upper air circulation due to low pressure areas in Punjab and Rajasthan are the primary reason for this weather condition,” said IMD Director S.C. Bhan.
“Much to the respite of people in northwest and central India, the maximum temperature over the region including Delhi will experience a dip of around four degrees,” Bhan told IANS.
Forecasting better news, he said the cool weather conditions are expected to continue till Thursday evening in Delhi and all over northwestern states.
“Cloudy skies, breeze, coupled with dust storms and slight rain over several parts of Delhi will bring cheer till Thursday evening,” he said.