Heavy rains lashed parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Thursday under the influence of Cyclone 'Burevi', with authorities deploying NDRF teams and setting up relief camps as disaster-response measures in view of the storm's impending landfall along the state's southern coast.
In the north, the weatherman said rain and snowfall are likely to occur in the mid and high hills of Himachal Pradesh starting December 4 as well as at isolated places in Kashmir.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm is all set to cross south Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Kanyakumari.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and his counterpart in Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan and asserted that the Narendra Modi government is committed to providing all possible help to the people of both the states in the wake of the cyclone.
Vijayan also held a review meeting with officials even as the IMD said 'Burevi' may make its landfall in Kerala on December 4, and issued a red alert and cyclone warning for south Tamilnadu and south Kerala coasts.
In Delhi, the minimum temperature settled at 8.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday and the maximum was 27.2 degrees Celsius.
The city's air quality remained "very poor" and it is likely to remain so for the next two days. The air quality index (AQI) of the national capital was recorded at 342 at 9 am.
Further north, most places in Kashmir registered sub-zero temperatures with Pahalgam being the coldest recorded place in the valley at a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius.
Shopian district recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius while Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius.
The mercury in Srinagar, which had recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius last Friday, settled at a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.
The weatherman also predicted rain and snowfall in the mid and high hills of Himachal Pradesh starting December 4. However, the weather in plains and low hills will remain dry till December 9.
Rain and snowfall are also likely to occur at isolated places in high hills as well on Friday and from December 7 to 9, and in mid-hills from December 7 to 9 of the state.
On Thursday, the weather in the state remained dry with Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district being the coldest place at minus 6.9 degrees Celsius.
In Haryana and Punjab, the minimum temperatures settled above normal, with Chandigarh recording a low of 9.6 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal.
In Haryana, the mercury dropped to 9.6 degrees Celsius in Ambala while in Punjab's Amritsar, the minimum temperature was 8 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal.
Muzaffarnagar was the coldest place in Uttar Pradesh with a low of 6.6 degrees Celsius as the weather remained dry over the state with shallow to moderate fog being recorded at isolated places with no change in day temperatures.
In the south, heavy rains lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry starting from last night with cyclonic storm 'Burevi' all set to cross the state's south coast between Pamban and Kanyakumari, the IMD said.
Under the influence of the weather system, regions, including those falling under the Cauvery delta zone like Kodavasal in Tiruvarur district, Nagapattinam, Vedaranyam, Karaikal, Tiruthuraipoondi, and Mudukulatur in Ramanathapuram received rainfall between nine cm and a maximum of 20 cm since last night and till this morning.
Normal life was also disrupted in Puducherry as torrential downpour influenced by the storm pounded several parts of the union territory. PWD sources told PTI that during last twenty four hours ending 8.30 am. Puducherry and its suburbs recorded 7.6 cm rainfall. During a telephonic conversation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah conveyed to Palaniswami and Vijayan that the Narendra Modi government is committed to providing all possible help to the people of both the states in the wake of cyclone Burevi's impending landfall.
Shah said several teams of NDRF are already deployed in both the states.
Vijayan also held a high-level meeting as the IMD said Burevi may make its landfall in Kerala on December 4.
The IMD has predicted that Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Idukki and Ernakulam districts would receive heavy rains and wind from December 3 to 5.
The International airport here will also remain shut for eight hours from Friday morning, officials said, adding that over 2,000 relief camps have been opened in Kerala.