Adampur records minus 1.6 degrees celsius

Chandigarh, Feb 11 (UNI) There was no let up in the cold wave sweeping the north-west India for more than a month as the mercury hovered low at most places, touching minus 1.6 degrees celsius at Adampur in Punjab.

Chilly winds swept Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh as the night temperatures stayed two degrees to eight degrees celsius below normal. A bright sunshine greeted the people in the region but afforded them little warmth.

Cold wave conditions are likely to continue for the next two days, according to the Weather Office here. It warned that ground frost was likely to occur at most places in Punjab and many places in Haryana during the next two nights.

A severe cold wave lashed Punjab with Adampur airbase, near Jalandhar, turning out to be the coldest place in the plains, recording the minimum temperature at minus 1.6 degrees, followed by Amritsar registering minus 0.9 degrees, seven degrees below normal.

The minimum plummeted six degrees below normal at Ludhiana and Patiala, respectively recording 1.8 degrees and 3.1 degrees celsius.

The night temperatures also fell at Halwara and in the Malwa belt.

Halwara was cold at 1.2 degrees, Bhatinda at 2.8 degrees and the border town of Pathankot at 3.6 degrees celsius.

The cold wave also swept Haryana with the temperature hovering five to eight degrees below normal. The minimum dropped to zero degree, eight degrees below normal, at Narnaul in Mahendergarh district while Karnal showed 2.6 degrees, Rohtak 2.8 degrees and Ambala 3.6 degrees celsius. The mercury, however, settled at 4.6 degrees at Hissar.

Despite a bright sunshine greeting the people cold wave blew across Chandigarh and its adjoining areas during the day. The city recorded the minimum temperature at 5.0 degrees, three degrees below normal.

Cold wave also lambasted people in Himachal Pradesh and extreme cold conditions prevailed in the tribal areas where lakes, springs and natural water bodies have already frozen. The mercury hovered at minus 9.4 degrees at Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district.

Cold wave also lashed mid and lower hills in the state.

Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded the minimum at 1.2 degrees while Bhuntar in Kullu district reported 1.2 degrees, two degrees below normal. Una in lower hills registered minus 0.9 degrees celsius.

Icy-cold winds lashed the capital town of Shimla recording a minimum of minus 0.3 degrees, three degrees below normal.

The Kashmir valley continued to be in the grip of unabated cold wave with Srinagar recording minus 6.2 degrees while Jammu registered 4.7 degrees, four degrees below normal.

The weather will be mainly dry in the region tomorrow, the Met office said.

UNI VKJ BP1744