Hailstones, rain lash Jaipur

Jaipur, March 5 (IANS) Many parts of Jaipur were lashed by rain and hailstones on Thursday, bringing the mercury down by a few notches.Although the weather was cloudy for the last two days, the minimum and maximum temperatures remained higher to give a feel of coming summer to city residents. However, a sudden spell of rain and hailstones during the day left many people surprised.Hailstones also lashed Chaksu in Jaipur on Wednesday, damaging standing crops in fields.The MeT department predicted thunderstorm accompanied by rain at isolated places in Jaipur, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Nagaur in Barmer and Ganganagar districts and adjoining areas. It also warned of thunderstorms accompanied with rain/hail/lightning at isolated places in Jaipur, Churu, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar districts and adjoining areas.The change in weather conditions, MeT officials said, was due to persisting western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation over southwest Afghanistan and its neighbourhood and less marked cyclonic circulation over north Haryana, northeast Rajasthan and the neighbourhood.
--IANS arc/tsb