Cold wave continues, Amritsar is minus 1.1 degrees

Chandigarh, Feb 12 (UNI) There is expected to be no relief from the ongoing cold wave in the next 24 hours, as minimum temperatures in the North West continued to register below the normal mark, with Amritsar turning out to be the coldest place in the plains.

Nights in the Holy City continued to get colder with the temperature dropping to minus 1.1 degrees celsius, seven degrees below normal. Adampur near Jalandhar was equally cold at minus 0.6 degrees.

In the rest of Punjab and Haryana, despite a bright sunshine during the day, the minimum stayed two to seven degrees below normal as chilly winds swept across the two states.

The met office has warned of ground frost in the next two days in Punjab and parts of Haryana that may further damage the vegetable and sugarcane crop.

The minimum plummeted to five degrees below normal at Ludhiana and Patiala, recording 3.5 degrees and 4.2 degrees celsius respectively.

The night temperatures at Halwara remained at 1.2 degrees while Bhatinda and the border town of Pathankot were cold at 3.4 degrees celsius.

The cold wave also swept Haryana with the Narnaul turning out to be the coldest place at 0.7 degrees, seven degrees below normal. Karnal was cold at 3.8 degrees, Rohtak 3.7 degrees and Ambala 2.9 degrees celsius, six degrees below normal. The mercury, however, settled at 5.1 degrees at Hisar, one degree below normal.

Despite a bright sunshine greeting the people, cold winds blew across Chandigarh and its adjoining areas during the day. The city recorded the minimum temperature at 6.0 degrees, two 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 9.1 degrees at Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district, which recorded 0.9 cms snow.

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

Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded the minimum at 0.0 degrees while Bhuntar in Kullu district reported 1.0 degrees, two degrees below normal. Una in lower hills registered 1.2 degrees celsius.

Icy-cold winds lashed the capital town of Shimla recording a minimum of minus 0.7 degrees, four degrees below normal.

The weather will be mainly dry in the region tomorrow with bright sunshine during the day.

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