Ushered in by unseasonal rain, the cold wave may ring in the New Year on a hostile note in many parts of north India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said a cold wave will sweep over the northwestern plains, particularly Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh from December 31 to January 2. Similar conditions are also possible over north Rajasthan this weekend, January 1-2.
The minimum temperature could fall by 2 to 4° C over most parts of northwest India during the next two days. Dense fog could settle over several pockets of north India during the next three days.
The IMD has placed Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Rajasthan under a yellow watch until January 2. This level of advisory urges residents to “be aware” of their local weather situation.
Meanwhile, some parts of the country will witness rain and hailstorm for the next couple of days, the weather agency said.
Even as the sun shone bright in large parts of the region on Wednesday, biting cold swept most places in Punjab and parts of Haryana, with minimum temperatures hovering below normal limits.
Moga in Punjab was the coldest place, recording a low of one degree celsius. Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot and Ferozepur recorded identical minimum temperatures of 2.4 degrees celsius each, according to the meteorological department here.
Among other places in Punjab, Barnala, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur and Pathankot reeled under intense cold recording respective minimum temperatures of 2.7 degrees celsius, 3.9 degrees celsius, 3.3 degrees celsius and 4.6 degrees celsius. Ludhiana recorded a low of 7.1 degrees celsius.
Patiala’s minimum temperature settled at 6.5 degrees celsius. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 5.8 degrees celsius.
In Haryana, Hisar, Sirsa and Narnaul experienced a cold night recording respective minimums of 5 degrees, 4.6 degrees and 6 degrees celsius. Ambala recorded a low of 6.9 degrees celsius while Karnal’s minimum temperature settled at 7.7 degrees celsius. Gurugram recorded a minimum temperature of 8.2 degrees celsius.
Meanwhile, the cold wave conditions intensified across Kashmir as Gulmarg skiing resort witnessed the season’s record low with mercury plunging more than 10 degrees below the freezing point, officials said on Wednesday.
Kashmir valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harshest winter period known as ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ which began on Tuesday.
Gulmarg, the famous skiing resort in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 10.4 degrees celsius. It was down one degree from minus 9.4 degrees compared to the previous night, the officials said
Pahalgam, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of minus 6.6 degrees celsius - up from minus 7.9 degrees celsius the previous night Srinagar saw a low of minus 2.3 degrees celsius last night - down from the previous night’s 1.4 degrees celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded a minimum of 0.6 degrees celsius.’
The nearby south Kashmir town of Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.4 degrees celsius.
The “Chilla-i-Kalan” will end on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long “Chillai-Khurd” (small cold) and a 10-day-long “Chillai-Bachha” (baby cold).