STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi: Cold wave conditions gripped the northern states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi on Monday. While sub-zero temperatures were recorded in Jammu and Kashmir, mercury dipped below 10 degrees Celsius in parts of the eastern state of Odisha.
Kashmir reeled under intense cold wave as the minimum temperature stayed several degrees below freezing point. Konibal, a sleepy hamlet on the outskirts of Pampore town, was the coldest place in the valley recording a low of minus 6 degrees Celsius.
While Pahalgam, the base camp of annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded minus 5 degrees Celsius, Srinagar city registered a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius and Gulmarg minus 4 degrees Celsius.
The MeT office has forecast mainly dry weather in the Union Territory till December 26 with possibility of light snowfall in higher reaches of the valley on the night of December 21-22.
Punjab and Haryana also remained in the grip of biting cold with Faridkot and Hisar recording a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius each.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two stated, on Monday recorded 26.1 degrees Celsius, more than three notches above normal limits.
Ludhiana and Patiala, too, braved the chill, registering respective minimums of 3.6 degrees and 5.3 degrees Celsius.
Gurdaspur and Bathinda also experienced a cold night, recording respective temperatures of 3 degrees and 3.2 deg C. Gurugram in Haryana recorded a low of 5.3 degrees while Rohtak registered a low of 4.2 degrees.
The hilly state of Himachal Pradesh also witnessed cold wave conditions as the MeT department issued an “orange” warning of severe cold at isolated places in the lower hills and plain areas of Una, Bilaspur and Hamirpur.
Tabo in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti was coldest at night, recording a low of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius.
Shimla, the state capital, remained warmest for the second consecutive night recording a minimum temperature at 10.9 degree Celsius, 5.2 degrees Celsius above normal. The maximum temperature in the the ‘Queen of hills’ was 21 degrees Celsius, marking the second highest temperature for the month of December since 2017 when the maximum temperature was 21.3 degree Celsius.
While Kufri and Narkanda recorded minimum temperatures at 10.5 degrees Celsius and 8.3 degrees Celsius, respectively, Una registered a low of minus 0.7 degrees Celsius and Hamipur 0.7 degrees Celsius.
In Rajasthan, extreme cold conditions prevailed in parts of the state as Fatehpur in Sikar district recorded a low of minus 0.4 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Churu settled at 1.5 degrees in, while it was 2.2 degrees in Alwar, 2.5 degrees in Sikar, 2.7 degrees in Sangaria and Pilani, 3.7 degrees in Bhilwara and Chittorgarh, 4.9 degrees in Sirohi and 5.0 degrees Celsius in Ganganagar.
The department has predicted no respite from the severe cold conditions during the next 24 hours.
The eastern state of Odisha witnessed cold weather conditions as 15 places recorded temperatures below 10 degree Celsius with Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district being the coldest in the state at 1 degree Celsius
The steel city of Rourkela recorded a minimum of 5.7 degree Celsius in the plains, the mercury level fell to 4.8 degree at G Udaygiri.
Reports of heavy frosting (a thin layer of ice crystals that forms on a surface) were received from different places in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts, Met office sources said.
The weather observatories placed inside Similipal National Park said that the lowest of 1 degree Celsius was recorded at Upar Barakamuda followed by 3 degree Celsius at Chahala, 4 degree C at Nawana, 5 degree C at Barehipani, 6 degree at Guruguria and 10 degree at Ramatirtha in Mayurbhanj district.
The IMD on Monday forecast the continuance of the cold wave conditions for the next two days and said the prevailing cold was due to the dry and cold northwesterly winds flowing towards the state.