Himachal’s tourist hotspot Kufri received fresh snowfall while some other parts of the state witnessed rainfall in the last 24 hours.
Kufri in Shimla district received 2 cm snowfall. Keylong recorded 15 cm snowfall and Kalpa 5 cm. Among other places in the state, Gondla received 31 cm snowfall, Bharmour 30 cm, Hansa 8 cm and Kothi 7 cm, according to the Meteorological Centre, Shimla.
Shimla residents shivered as icy winds brought down the minimum temperature to 2.1 degrees Celsius. The state’s capital recorded 1.7 mm rainfall.
Kangra received 25.4 mm rainfall, Chamba 20 mm rainfall, Palampur 17 mm, Dharamshala 14.8 mm, Manali 10 mm and Bhuntar 3.8 mm.
The tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti’s administrative centre Keylong was recorded as the coldest place in the state at minus 9.2 degrees Celsius. Kalpa recorded a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperatures in Dalhousie and Kufri were recorded at minus 1.8 and 0.5 degrees Celsius respectively.
Meanwhile, a 42-year-old man was killed in a lightning strike in Kangra district. The incident occurred on Saturday evening and the deceased was identified as Parvinder Rana, a resident of Saunkni Da Kot in Dharamshala sub-division. The body has been sent for post-mortem and further reports are awaited.
Shimla Meteorological Centre Director Manmohan Singh said that no western disturbance would affect northwest India till February 1, therefore, weather will be dry over the state of Himachal Pradesh till February 1.
Thereafter, a fresh western disturbance may affect Western Himalayan Region from February 2 and it may cause precipitation at isolated places over the state and it may increase in intensity and distribution thereafter, he said.
The dry northwesterly winds would prevail over northwest India from January 25 onwards, as a result, minimum temperatures are very likely to fall by 2-4 degree Celsius during the next 3 days over most parts of Himachal while day temperature will rise by 3-5 degree Celsius in coming days on account of clear sky and sunny days, Singh added.
THICK BLANKET OF FOG IN PUNJAB AND HARYANA
The minimum temperatures hovered above normal limits in parts of Punjab and Haryana on Sunday. A thick blanket of fog engulfed most places in the two states, reducing visibility levels.
According to Meteorological Department officials here, fog engulfed various places, including Chandigarh, Ambala, Hisar, Karnal, Sonipat, Bhiwani, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Faridkot and Gurdaspur in the morning.
Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana recorded a minimum temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius, six notches above normal.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a low of 6 degrees Celsius, while Ludhiana and Patiala too recorded above normal minimum temperatures at 8.6 degrees Celsius and 8.6 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Among other places in Punjab, Pathankot recorded 8.1 degrees Celsius, Adampur settled at a lwo of 8.9 degrees Celsius, Halwara 8.1 degrees Celsius, Faridkot 7 degrees Celsius and Gurdaspur 8 degrees Celsius.
In neighboring Haryana, Ambala recoded a minimum temperature of 9.9 degrees Celsius), Hisar 7.4 degrees Celsius, Karnal 9 degrees Celsius, Narnaul 8 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 10.4 degrees Celsius, Bhiwani 9.2 degrees Celsius and Sirsa 7.4 degrees Celsius recorded above normal minimum temperatures.
The Chandigarh Met Department has forecast cold wave conditions in the two states in the next 24 hours.