Pre-monsoon rains drench north, elude Delhi; 2 killed in Kashmir

 Heavy pre-monsoon showers today lashed northern states, barring Delhi, dragging the maximum temperatures several notches below normal even as Kashmir reported two deaths with high-velocity winds sweeping the region, damaging structures and uprooting trees.

It was a sultry day in the national capital even as the mercury settled at 37.3 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal for this time of the year. The minimum in the city was recorded at 28 degrees and humidity level between 41 and 75 per cent.

The maximum day temperatures in the other three metropolitan cities of Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai settled at 34.8, 37.6 and 34.3 degrees.

In Kashmir, Naik Surinder Yadav of army's 64 Field Regiment was killed when a tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on him at Zeran Check village in Baramulla district of north Kashmir while five-year-old Iqra died on the spot when a tree fell on her house at Faqir Bagh in the district.

Pre-monsoon rains lashed many parts of Punjab and Haryana, causing mercury to dip by few notches. Chandigarh received a heavy downpour overnight and the sky was cloudy during the day.

Ambala, Karnal, Panchkula, Hisar, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra, were among other places in Haryana that were lashed by rains. Ludhiana, Ropar, Phagwara, Mohali and Hoshiarpur in Punjab were also lashed by rains.

The MeT department has said the monsoon was likely to hit Punjab and Haryana by the end of June.

Light to heavy rain and thunderstorms at a few places brought temperatures down in Uttar Pradesh.

While Nazibabad and Moradabad received 9 cm each, Saharanpur and Safipur received 7 cm each. Nagina and Bansgaon registered 6 cm rainfall with Chandradeepghat, Kannauj, Malihabad, Bhinga, Aonla, Bijnore recording 4 cm each.

Heavy pre-monsoon rains lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh for the second day, leading to a marginal fall in temperatures.

Gohar in Mandi district was the wettest place receiving 165 mm of rains, while Sundernagar and Bijahi gauged 121 mm and 110 mm of rains.

Sub-Himalayan West Bengal witnessed heavy rains with Cooch Behar district measuring 87.8 mm and Darjeeling 19 mm of rainfall. Asansol and Bankura in Gangetic West Bengal gauged 21.6 mm and 9.6 mm of rains, respectively.

The MeT office forecast heavy rains in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar for the next three days.