Cold weather prevails across country with approaching winter

Chandigarh/Lucknow, Nov 25 (UNI) With the advent of winter, cold weather swept across many parts of the country, including North West India and Uttar Pradesh experiencing a fall in temperature.

Amritsar, at 6.2 degrees celsius, was recorded the coldest place in the North West plains, as night temperatures across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh dipped marginally and remained one to four degrees below normal.

At Ludhiana, the minimum temperature settled at 8.6 degrees, against yesterday's 10.3 degrees, while Patiala recorded 7.4 degrees, against yesterday's 10.4 degrees. The minimum at Chandigarh, where the sky remained overcast, was 8.4 degrees.

Narnaul, the coldest place in Haryana, recorded a minimum temperature of 6.2 degrees, four degrees below normal. Ambala, recorded the night temperature at 7.5 degrees, while Karnal 8.0 degrees.

In Himachal Pradesh, the night temperature in the capital town of Shimla was 10.6 degrees, five degrees above normal. The tourist resort of Manali registered 2.6 degrees.

Light snowfall or rain is expected in Himachal, while in parts of Punjab and Haryana, cloudy weather is said to prevail.

Uttar Pradesh is expected to experience nipping cold in the coming days, with the blowing of cold winds, accompanied by a fall in the minimum temperature. The day starts with mist, but the rest of it sees a bright and sunny weather, said to be affected by the Western Disturbances. The plummeting of temperature is attributed to the Westerly Winds crossing the state.

In the last 24 hours, Meerut remained the coldest, with the minimum temperature at 6.7 degrees. The minimum temperature in Lucknow was recorded at 10.2 degrees.

A dry weather with mainly clear sky is expected in the state.

However, mist/fog would be observed during the night/morning.

In the national capital of Delhi, the minimum temperature dropped to 9 degrees, from yesterday's 11.0 degrees. There was, however, a rise in the maximum temperature, from 25.4 degrees yesterday, to 28 degrees. A partly cloudy sky, with likelihood of mist in the morning, is expected during the next 24 hours.

Night temperature was below normal in many parts of country, including some parts of Jharkhand, Bihar, west Madhya Pradesh, Saurashtra, Kutch, Vidarbha, some parts of Assam and Meghalaya, Orissa, east Rajasthan, Gujarat region and of Madhya Maharashtra.

However, it was appreciably to markedly above normal in some parts of west Rajasthan and above normal in some parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and of Kerala and normal over the rest of the country.

Heavy to very rains are likely to occur at most places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Rain or snow are likely to occur at isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir. Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at a few places in south coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema, south interior Karnataka and at isolated places in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, coastal and north interior Karnataka.

Rain or thundershowers have occurred at most places in Lakshadweep and at a few places in Kerala and at isolated places in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Mainly dry weather have prevailed in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal and Sikkim, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and will prevail in many states, including Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

UNI TEAM SBC RN1943