North India grapples with cold waves as Rajasthan's Churu records freezing temp

Churu and Fatehpur (Sikar) district of Rajasthan recorded temperatures below the freezing point on Saturday.

New Delhi: The northern state of Rajasthan on Saturday (December 19) woke up to a numbing landscape as the Churu and Fatehpur (Sikar) district recorded temperature below the freezing point, said Indian Meteorological Department.

The minimum temperature in Rajasthan was recorded at -3.3°C in Fatehpur of Sikar district, and in the neighbouring Churu, where the temperature was -1.1°C last evening, according to the meteorological department.

“Lowest minimum temperature of -1.1 °C was recorded at Churu, West Rajasthan as of December 18. Below the normal temperature of -1.6°C to -3.0°C at many places over Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh..,” said National Weather Forecasting Centre, IMD.

Lowest minimum temperature of -1.1 °C was recorded at Churu, West Rajasthan as of December 18. Below normal temperature of -1.6°C to -3.0°C at many places over Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh...: National Weather Forecasting Centre, IMD pic.twitter.com/DbapdQG2ll — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2021

Meanwhile, the capital city of Jaipur witnessed the coldest morning of the winter season so far as the minimum temperature touched 4.9°C, almost four degrees below normal.

Additionally, entire Northern India is grappling with the coldest waves of the season with Delhi witnessing the coldest morning of the season logging the temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, parts of Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, were also affected on Saturday due to chilly winds coming from the North. Gwalior, Datia and Nowgaon area of Chhatarpur district recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 4°C, said PK Saha, a meteorologist at IMD Bhopal office.

According to the IMD expert, these chilly waves in the North are an outcome of the winds coming from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand which have witnessed snowfall.

"At -6 and 2.3°C, Srinagar and Jammu recorded the coldest night of the season so far on Saturday," a department official said. Pahalgam recorded -8.3°C and Gulmarg -8.5 as their minimum temperature. Meanwhile, Drass town of Ladakh recorded -20.3 and Leh -15.3 as the night's lowest temperature, TOI quoted the official as saying.