NEW DELHI: Cold weather conditions persisted in parts of north and west India on Sunday with the mercury dropping several notches in Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan.
Kashmir and the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh received some respite from the intense cold as minimum temperatures rose. The respite for Kashmir is likely to be short-lived as the meteorological department has predicted a cold wave in parts of the valley over the next three days.
Delhi’s minimum temperature dropped to 4.9 degrees Celsius, 3.1 notches below normal, but cold wave conditions did not prevail, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The mercury settled at a low of 8 degrees Celsius in the city on Saturday.
The capital recorded a maximum temperature of 23.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 0.2 notches below normal, the IMD said.
The weather department has forecast moderate fog in Delhi on Monday. The minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to settle at 5 degrees Celsius and 23 degrees Celsius respectively.
Punjab and Haryana also remained in the grip of cold weather conditions with Faridkot recording the lowest temperature in the region at 1 degree Celsius, according to the meteorological department.
Punjab’s Gurdaspur and Bathinda recorded a minimum temperature of 2 degrees Celsius and 4.6 degrees Celsius respectively at night, it said.
The mercury settled at a low of 3.5 degrees Celsius in Pathankot, 3.9 degrees Celsius in Amritsar, 6.8 degrees Celsius in Ludhiana and 3.8 degrees Celsius in Patiala.
In Haryana, Hisar shivered at 1.7 degrees Celsius and Narnaul recorded a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius.
Bhiwani recorded a low of 4 degrees Celsius, Gurugram 5.6 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 5.2 degrees Celsius and Ambala 5.7 degrees Celsius.
The weather office said that Chandigarh, the common capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures rose by three to five notches in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh while cold wave conditions gripped the lower hills as the weather remained dry.
Tabo was the coldest place in the state at night with a low of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius and Shimla was the warmest at 12.2 degrees Celsius, 6.5 notches above normal.
The adjoining resorts of Kufri and Narkanda recorded a low of 9.8 degrees Celsius and 6.4 degrees Celsius respectively.
In the lower hills, Una recorded a minimum temperature of 0.2 degrees Celsius and Sundernagar 0.6 degrees Celsius.
The local meteorological office has issued a ‘yellow’ warning for cold wave at isolated places in the lower hills and plains till Thursday and predicted dry weather in the state over the next seven days.
Cold wave conditions will prevail in Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and parts of Kangra districts, the weather office said.
There was no significant change in maximum temperatures in Himachal Pradesh. Solan was the hottest during the day at 24.7 degrees Celsius followed by Shimla at 19 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal.
Kashmir saw a slight respite from intense cold wave conditions as minimum temperatures rose across the valley, though they remained below the freezing point.
The summer capital of Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, an improvement from minus 4.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, the meteorological department said.
Gulmarg, a tourist destination popular for skiing, registered a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees Celsius — a rise of nearly four notches from the night before.
Pahalgam, the base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, logged a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, three notches higher than the previous night.
Konibal, a hamlet on the outskirts of Pampore town, was the coldest place in the valley with the mercury settling at a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature was minus 4 degrees Celsius in Qazigund, 3.7 degrees Celsius in Kupwara and 2.8 degrees Celsius in Kokernag.
According to the meteorological office, the weather in the valley is likely to remain mainly dry till December 21.
Minimum temperatures are predicted to drop and a cold wave is likely over many stations during the next three days, the weather office said.
In Rajasthan, cold wave conditions prevailed in most parts and Fatehpur recorded sub-zero temperature for the third consecutive day on Sunday.
According to the meteorological department, the minimum temperature in Fatehpur settled at minus 1.2 degrees Celsius.
Churu recorded a minimum temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius; Bhilwara 2.2 degrees Celsius; Sangaria, Pilani and Sirohi 2.6 degrees Celsius; Chittorgarh 3.2 degrees Celsius and Alwar 4 degrees Celsius.
The mercury settled below 10 degrees Celsius at several other places in the state. (PTI)