Mercury dips to minus 2 degrees Celsius at Amritsar

Chandigarh, Dec 31 (UNI) Cold wave, currently sweeping north-west India, tightened its noose in the region today following further fall in the mercury.

The night temperatures hovered two degrees to six degrees below normal in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, where several places remained shrouded in thick fog.

A severe cold wave swept Punjab and Haryana where ground frost is likely to occur at many places in the next two nights, according to the Weather Office here.

In Punjab, the minimum temperature dipped to minus three degrees celsius at Adampur, near Jalandhar, turning it the coldest place in the plains, followed by Amritsar registering minus two degrees, six degrees below normal.

The minimum also fell at Ludhiana and Patiala, respectively recording 2.2 degrees, four degrees below normal, and four degrees which was three degrees down.

Halwara airbase, near Ludhiana, was cold at 0.6 degrees Celsius while Pathankot recorded a low of 2.6 degrees and Bathinda 3.2 degrees Celsius, a report from Jalandhar said.

The cold wave also lashed parts of Haryana with the night temperature dipping to 2.2 degrees Celsius at Ambala and Karnal, hovering below normal by five degrees and six degrees at respective places.

Narnaul registered 2.5 degrees, three degrees below normal, while Rohtak showed 4.4 degrees, two degrees below normal. The mercury also dropped at Hissar recording 5.8 degrees.

Intense cold wave swept mid and lower hills in Himachal Pradesh with people in tribal areas facing freezing cold wave. The twin valleys of Kangra and Kullu and the capital town of Shimla were under the impact of severe cold wave.

Una in lower hills recorded minus 2.4 degrees while Kalpa in higher hills registered minus 3.6 degrees Celsius. The minimum plummeted to minus 1.8 degrees Celsius at Bhuntar in Kullu district and to minus 1.5 degrees at Sundernagar in Mandi district.

Icy-cold winds lashed Shimla and its adjoining areas with the capital town recording the minimum at 3.1 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh also reeled under cold wave conditions. The minimum temperature further declined in the city recording 4.4 degrees, two degrees below normal.

There was no let up in the cold wave in the Kashmir valley with Srinagar recording minus 7.9 degrees while Jammu registered 2.3 degrees, six degrees below normal. Delhi also reeled under severe cold with Safdarjung recording 4.7 degrees, two degrees below normal.

The cold wave conditions are likely to continue for the next two days. The weather will be mainly dry in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh during the next 48 hours.

UNI