New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) Mumbai and several parts of Madhya Pradesh received light rains on Friday while temperatures remained above normal in north India barring Himachal Pradesh where cold wave intensified with mercury dipping a few notches.

The formation of a low pressure area in the Arabian Sea and its adjoining south west area brought light showers in Mumbai, its neighbouring areas as well as large parts of western Madhya Pradesh, including its capital Bhopal, bringing down the temperatures.

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In Delhi, the minimum temperature was recorded at 11.3 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature was 25.8 degrees Celsius, both above normal.

The minimum temperature is likely to dip to 8 degrees Celsius by Monday, weather officials said.

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The city's air quality was recorded in the "poor" category and is likely to improve "significantly" over the next two days due to a predicted increase in the wind speed and light rain.

The IMD said the national capital and its neighbouring cities are likely to receive light rainfall on Friday and Saturday under the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance passing over the Himalayas.

"After the Western Disturbance withdraws, icy cold northwesterly winds blowing from snow-laden Himalayas will bring temperatures down in the plains," the IMD said.

The cold wave sweeping Himachal Pradesh further intensified, with the minimum and maximum temperatures across the state dipping a few notches.

Tribal district Lahaul-Spiti's administrative centre Keylong was the coldest place in the state at minus 5.4 degrees Celsius while Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded a low of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius.

The weather office has predicted rainfall in the plains and the low hills, and rain and snowfall in the middle and high hills of the state on Saturday.

Further north, Gulmarg and Pahalgam were the only places in Kashmir which recorded sub-zero night temperatures on Friday.

The MeT office predicted moderate rains or snowfall over the higher reaches of the Union Territory from tonight.

The mercury in Gulmarg settled at a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius.

The night temperature in Srinagar settled at a low of 2.3 degrees Celsius.

The authorities have issued a medium danger avalanche warning for the higher reaches of Ramban, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora and Ganderbal districts.

A low-level avalanche alert has also been issued for the upper reaches of Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and Kulgam districts of J-K, and Kargil district of Ladakh UT.

In Punjab and Haryana, the minimum temperature hovered above normal limits with Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recording a low of 10.4 degrees Celsius, up three notches against normal limits.

In Haryana, Ambala recorded a low of 10.5 degrees, while Amritsar in Punjab recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal.

Night temperatures also remained high in Rajasthan where several areas remained cloudy. Due to a western disturbance, there were traces of slight drizzle in few areas of Udaipur, Kota, Jaipur and Bikaner division.

Meanwhile, dense to very dense fog was observed at isolated places in Uttar Pradesh. Day temperatures climbed appreciably in Gorakhpur division of the state and fell quite a few notches in Bareilly division.

The highest temperature in the state was recorded in Jhansi at 32.9 degrees celsius, while the lowest was in Churk at 7.8 degrees Celsius.

In Mumbai and its adjoining areas, light showers bought the temperatures down a bit as local residents woke up to a cool and cloudy morning.

A low pressure area has developed over the south east Arabian Sea and the adjoining south west area of the sea, which brought clouds and humidity, resulting in light showers over the region.

"Along with Mumbai, adjoining Palghar and Thane districts also witnessed light showers, the IMD said, adding that north Konkan, including Raigad district, also recorded some drizzles during the same period.

Large parts of western Madhya Pradesh also received light showers due an upper air cyclonic circulation formed in the Arabian Sea.

These areas received intermittent drizzle since Thursday afternoon.

This rain activity is likely to extend to the states eastern region in the next two days, weather officials said.

These light showers are going to lower the maximum temperature in the state, officials said, adding that the northern parts of the state are expected to experience foggy mornings from Saturday.

The IMD predicted thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and hail at isolated places over Uttarakhand, north Punjab and north Madhya Maharashtra and thunderstorm accompanied with lightning at isolated places over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Mahe.

Dense fog is also likely at isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, east Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim and Odisha, it said.

Meanwhile, a study by carried out by researchers at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), said nearly half of the droughts that occurred during the Indian summer monsoon season in the past century may have been driven by atmospheric disturbances from the North Atlantic region.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)