Weather update: Cold wave continues in Haryana, Punjab; IMD predicts light rainfall in North India

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Hisar: North India has been under the grip of the Cold wave for weeks now. People in North Indian states like Punjab, and Haryana have been getting up with dense fog and chilly mornings in several areas including Haryana and Punjab. The temperature remained below normal in most places on January 19. People in Narnaul, Bhiwani, Hisar woke up with the minimum temperature. Narnaul was the coldest place in Haryana, recording a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius. Bhiwani also experienced a cold night recording a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees Celsius. According to the Meteorological Department, Hisar registered a low of 7.2 degrees Celsius while Rohtak's minimum settled at 7.4 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 8.5 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Faridkot braved a cold night at 4.8 degrees Celsius while Bathinda's minimum settled at 5 degrees Celsius. Amritsar registered a low of 6.4 degrees Celsius while Patiala recorded a minimum temperature of 7.9 degrees Celsius. Pathankot registered a low of 8.4 degrees Celsius.

It saw seven cold wave days in January 2020 while it did not record any such day last year. The city recorded a spell of intense cold wave from January 5 to 9, the second longest in the month in a decade, according to IMD data. It has also logged over 50 hours of dense fog this month so far, the highest since 2019.

The meteorological office had earlier said cold wave conditions would abate from Thursday or Friday under the influence of two western disturbances that are likely to affect the region in quick succession.

When a western disturbance -- a weather system characterised by warm moist winds from the Middle East -- approaches a region, the wind direction changes.

Light to moderate rain and a hailstorm with winds gusting up to 50 kilometers per hour are predicted to lash northwest India, including Delhi, on January 23-24 under the influence of another western disturbance.

Delhi has not recorded any rainfall this winter season so far. The Met department attributed it to the lack of strong western disturbances in November and December. Last year, the city recorded 82.2 mm of rainfall in January, the highest in the month since 1901.

(With agency inputs)