Cold wave swept most parts of North India on Sunday. Parts of Himachal Pradesh, especially the lahaul valley, received snowfall and got partially cut off from rest of the state. In Jammu and Kashmir Srinagar witnessed a low of minus 4.4 degree Celsius. This led to the freezing of the fringes of Dal lake. leh was the coldest place in the state at minus 13.7 degrees C.
Mercury dipped below zero degrees C in Mount Abu in Rajasthan. Narnaul in Haryana on the other hand was the coldest place in the plains at two degrees C. Foggy conditions also prevailed in many parts of the country.
According to weather scientists, Western Disturbance affecting Jammu and Kashmir has moved away from the region giving way to clear weather conditions over hilly states of North India on Saturday. Hence, under its influence, cold and dry northerly winds will blow over entire northwestern plains leading to drop in temperatures across the region.
As a result, parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, North Rajasthan and some parts of Madhya Pradesh are facing drop in temperature.
Hisar in Haryana reeled under 2.5 degrees C, which is five degrees below normal. Cold conditions also swept Ambala at 6.3 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh experienced minimum of 6.2 degrees C, said the sources in India Meterological Department (IMD).
In Punjab, Amritsar experienced 2.7 degrees C, while ludhiana witnessed a minimum of 3.4 degrees, which is three degrees below normal.
Scattered light rain is expected to continue over Chhattisgarh and Odisha on account of conversion of dry and cold northwesterly winds with warm and moist winds from Bay of Bengal.
Meanwhile, cyclonic circulation continues to persist over Assam, causing isolated light rain over Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.
In the South, while Northeast Monsoon has reduced in the region, scattered light to moderate rain prevailed over parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.