North India shivers; Chillai Kalaan will begin on Friday
New Delhi- Cold wave conditions prevailed in north Indian states on Thursday, with Adampur in Punjab was the coldest place in the two states, recording a minimum temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius, Delhi, experienced the coldest day of the season so far at 4 degrees Celsius, and most parts of Punjab and Haryana recording temperatures lower than hill station Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, the Meteorological (Met) Department.
The mercury fell from minus 6 degrees Celsius on the previous night to minus 14.7 degrees Celsius, a Met official said. In Srinagar — the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir — the night temperature stood at minus 4.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, he said.The normal for this time of season in the city is minus 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Cold conditions are expected to intensify as the valley braces for the harshest 40-day winter period called ‘Chillai Kalaan’, which will begin on Friday.
In Punjab and Haryana, dense fog led to reduced visibility at many places, including Patiala, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Adampur, Hisar and Ambala.
The night temperature in Ludhiana was recorded at 2.3 degrees Celsius, Bathinda reeled at 2.9 degrees Celsius, Amritsar at 3.6 degrees Celsius, Halwara at 4.4 degrees Celsius, Patiala at 5.6 degrees Celsius and Pathankot at 5.5 degrees Celsius, the weatherman added.
In Haryana, Hisar was the coldest place, recording a low of 2.1 degrees Celsius, while Narnaul settled at 2.5 degrees Celsius, Ambala at 3.7 degrees Celsius, Rohtak at 3.2 degrees Celsius, Sirsa at 4.6 degrees Celsius and Karnal at 4 degrees Celsius, all below normal for this time of the year.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 5.6 degrees Celsius.
The official said Qazigund — the gateway town to the valley in south Kashmir — recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, while nearby Kokernag town registered a low of minus 3.8 degrees Celsius and Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius Wednesday night, he said.
The night temperature in Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius Wednesday.
The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius last night, the official said.
The normal for this time of the winter in the twin resorts is minus 4.4 degrees Celsius and minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
With cyclonic storm ‘Phethai’ withering away, cold wind from the northern region has started sweeping into Odisha and cold weather conditions are likely to intensify from Friday.
PTI
