Heavy rain and hailstorms swept across parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region on Monday night and early Tuesday, NDTV reported.

Deputy Director of India Meteorological Department BP Yadav told Hindustan Times that a cyclonic circulation has formed over Rajasthan because of an approaching western disturbance. “This is expected to trigger rain across the plains of northwest India, including Delhi, from the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.”

“Delhi can expect light rain/drizzle now as the weather system has moved to west Uttar Pradesh,” the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. The department has forecast widespread rainfall in Punjab, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh and scattered rainfall over north Rajasthan and East Uttar Pradesh in the next 48 hours.

Hailstorms are also likely over the lower reaches of the Western Himalayan region and over Punjab, Haryana, north Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh in the next 24 hours, over Madhya Pradesh on January 24, and over Chhattisgarh on January 25.

Delhi and its neighbouring areas have received bouts of rain and thundershowers since Monday noon, a day after the warmest January day since 2012, NDTV reported. The maximum temperature has dipped further in the Capital due to the rain, and is expected to stay around 19 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. However, the minimum temperature on Tuesday morning was 12.5 degrees Celsius, five degrees above normal.

The rain also reduced the pollution level in the city. The Air Quality Index reading at 1 pm was 125, in the “moderate” category, the Central Pollution Control Board said.

At least 15 trains to Delhi were running late due to low visibility, ANI reported. There was also water logging in some places in the city. The Delhi Traffic Police issued advisories to the public against using certain roads as these were waterlogged.

Snow in J&K

In Jammu and Kashmir, authorities on Tuesday closed the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which links the Valley with the rest of the country, due to snowfall, reported Greater Kashmir. An avalanche had blocked the Jawahar Tunnel in Qazigund area of south Kashmir.

Most parts of Kashmir received snowfall, except Srinagar which received light rain.

Patnitop in Udhampur and Batote in Ramban district were covered in one to two feet of snow, The Indian Express reported. Vehicular traffic was suspended on the Thanamandi-Buffliaz road linking Rajouri with the Mughal road in Poonch. There was heavy snow on Mughal road, and also in Surankote and Mandi areas of Poonch.

At least four flights from Srinagar airport were cancelled and 11 were delayed to poor weather conditions and low visibility, PTI reported.

Temperatures in the state dipped on Tuesday. Kargil in Ladakh region recorded a minimum temperature of minus 12 degrees Celsius, Rising Kashmir reported. Drass recorded minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, and Leh 2.8 degrees Celsius. Batote recorded a low temperature of minus 2.1 degrees Celsius, Bannihal minus 0.1 degrees Celsius, and Bhaderwah minus 0.2 degrees. In Jammu, the night temperature fell to 8.7 degrees Celsius, two degrees above normal.

Parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh also received snowfall on Tuesday, reported ANI.