New Delhi: Northern India remained in the grip of cold wave with mercury hovering around freezing point in several parts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
There was no let up in the intense cold conditions in Himachal Pradesh with Shimla recorded 3.2 deg C, while it was minus 1.0 deg C at Bhuntar.
Elsewhere, Solan and Sundernagar touched zero degree mark
while Mandi recorded a low of 0.5 deg C. Keylong in Lahaul and
Spiti district recorded a minimum of minus 5 deg C, while
Kalpa in Kinnaur district registered a low of minus 3.4 deg C.
The lower hills, however, were warmer during the day with
Sundernagar recording a high of 22.7 deg C, followed by Una at
21.6 deg C and Solan 21.0 deg C.
The Met department has predicted rain or snow in high altitude areas of the hilly state in the coming days.
Snowfall in parts of frontier region of Ladakh and cloud
cover in the Valley brought an appreciable drop in the night
temperature in Jammu and Kashmir.
Leh in frontier region of Ladakh was the coldest place in
the state with a minimum of minus 10.2 deg C followed by
nearby Kargil which recorded a low of minus 9.2 deg C.
The high altitude areas of Ladakh, including Kargil,
received snowfall this morning.
Srinagar also showed an appreciable increase in the night
temperature which settled at minus 3.5 deg C today, compared
to yesterday`s minus 5.4 deg C.
Pahalgam hill resort, which serves as the base camp for
the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a night temperature of
minus 1.0 deg C as against minus 5.6 deg C yesterday.
People in Haryana reeling under intense cold conditions
over the past few days got some respite as the minimum
temperature increased by a few notches, but Punjab continued
to remain under the grip of piercing chill.
Bhiwani registered a minimum of 8 deg C, two degrees
above normal, while the low at Ambala settled at 7.6 deg C, up
by a degree, the Met said here.
The minimum at Chandigarh settled at 6 deg C.
In Punjab, Amritsar continued to reel under biting cold
as the low settled at 3.4 deg C, down by a degree. Ludhiana
was equally cold at 3.7 deg C, down two notches, while the low
at Patiala was 4.1 deg C, also two degrees below normal.
Meanwhile, mercury rose by one to four notches in
Rajasthan due to change in upper air circulation.
Dabok recording the lowest temperate of 4.8 deg C,
followed by Vanasthali where the night temperature was 5.3 deg
C, a Met report said.
Night temperatures would dip during the next 48 hours in
the state, according to a Met forecast.
PTI
