Amritsar records minus 0.4 degrees Celsius

Chandigarh, Dec 20 (UNI) North-west India was in the grip of intensified cold wave with Amritsar turning as the coldest place in the plains, recording minus 0.4 degrees Celsius.

People groaned under piercing cold wave conditions in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh Union Territory even as a bright sunshine greeted the people in the region.

The mercury hovered two degrees to five degrees below normal at many places in the plains.

A severe cold wave swept Amritsar following a further drop in the mercury. The minimum temperature hovered four degrees below normal in the holy city in Punjab.

Adampur, near Jalandhar, recorded the minimum at one degree while Ludhiana registered 1.6 degrees, five degrees below normal. Patiala showed 3.7 degrees, three degrees below normal.

Cold wave also lashed Haryana. Ambala with 2.2 degrees, five degrees below normal, was the coldest place in the state, followed by Karnal recording 2.6 degrees, five degrees below normal, and Rohtak registering 4.0 degrees, two degrees below normal.

The minimum settled at 5.0 degrees at Narnaul and 6.7 degrees at Hissar.

Cold wave conditions, prevailing in some parts of Haryana and Punjab, are likely to abate in the next two days, according to the Met Office here. It warned that ground frost might occur at few places in the twin states during the next two nights.

Himachal Pradesh also reeled under the cold wave. People in the tribal districts of Lahaul spiti and Kinnaur and Pangi valley and Bharmour area in Chamba district were facing biting cold wave as the minimum hovered below freezing point in these areas.

Bhuntar in Kullu district recorded a low of 3.6 degrees which was three degrees below normal while Sundernagar in Mandi district and Una showed 1.6 degrees each.

The temperature remained one degree above normal at state capital Shimla recording 5.1 degrees.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana continued to reel under cold wave as the temperature hovered at 4.0 degrees, two degrees below normal.

The entire Kashmir valley continued to be in the grip of cold wave with Srinagar recording 0.6 degrees while Jammu registered 8.4 degrees celsius.

The temperature also remained low in Delhi with Safderjung recording the minimum at 5.0 degrees, three degrees below normal.

The Weather Office has predicted light to moderate rain or snow at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh and mainly sunny day in Punjab and Haryana tomorrow.

UNI