North reels under rain, snow; 6 die in UP

Rains and thundershowers lashed large swathes of Northern plains where six persons lost there lives after being struck by lightning in Uttar Pradesh, while snowfall in higher parts of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh kept the temperatures below normal.
Delhi witnessed overnight rains and thunderstorm, due to which temperature dropped by a few notches, meteorological department official said today.
Rain gauges measured 2.5 mm rainfall during the last 24 hours ending 8:30 AM this morning, he said.
The maximum temperature was today recorded at 23.3 degree Celsius, two notches below the normal level, and the minimum was at 10.7 deg C with no deviation from the normal level.

In UP, six persons were killed after being hit by lightning as most parts of the state witnessed light to moderate rains and thundershowers.
Three persons were killed in Unnao district while one each died in Barabanki, Farukkhabad and Hathras districts after being hit by lightning, police sources said here.

Night temperature fell markedly in Agra division and fell appreciably in Moradabad and Meerut divisions.
The lowest minimum temperature in the state was recorded in Etawah at 7 deg C.
Higher parts of Kashmir got snowfall overnight.
The snowfall, which began in the hilly areas of the valley on Friday, brought down the mercury by several notches and also resulted in a decrease in the day temperatures.

According to a Met official, Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 1.7 deg C and received snowfall and rains equivalent to 1.7 mm rainfall.
He said that Qazigund town recorded a minimum temperature of 0.2 deg C, while the night temperature in Kokernag settled at a minimum of minus 0.3 deg C.
Qazigund and Kokernag received snowfall and rains equivalent to 14.6 mm and 16.8 mm of rainfall respectively.
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg, which shivered at minus 5.6 deg C the previous night, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 6.2 deg C last night.