The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that severe cold wave conditions sweeping across north and northwest India pushed mercury to sub-zero levels at many places in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and NCR on Wednesday.
The severe cold wave conditions have intensified over the region as icy winds with moderate speed have been blowing sharpening the wind chill factor and therefore drop in the feel like temperature.
The IMD also warned of continuing cold wave conditions across the Indo-Gangetic plains, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Gujarat till January 1.
Under the influence of the cold wave, some parts in Gujarat and Odisha have been reporting a significant drop in the night temperatures.
Pahalgam (-9 degrees Celsius), Churu (-1.5 degrees Celsius), Kullu (-0.2 degrees Celsius), Amritsar (1.8 degrees Celsius) and Jammu city (2.9 degrees Celsius) remained among the coldest places in north India.
Wednesday was the coldest December day for Churu since 2008. Similarly, Jammu city recorded one of its coldest December days Wednesday. The plains of Jammu previously experienced such conditions in 2014 (2.4 degrees), and the city holds an all time record of 0.9 degrees in 1998. Pahalgam last reported such a cold December in 2013, when the night temperature recorded was -9.6 degrees Celsius.
