Amritsar coldest place in the northwest plains

Chandigarh, Dec 13 (UNI) Amritsar was the coldest place in the northwest plains as intense cold wave conditions continued over Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh today with the mercury hovering below normal at many places and dense fog delaying air, rail and road traffic.

Despite dry weather, icy cold breeze swept Himachal Pradesh during the last 24 hrs bringing down the temperatures in the bordering states, the met office said today.

Maximum and minimum temperatures in the high altitudes and several areas of the tribal districts in Himachal had plummeted to the lowest during the winter season.

Snow clouds were hovering over the tribal districts of Kinnuar, Lahaul Spiti, Chamba and Kullu districts and the met sources said it was likely to snow anytime.

The met department said night temperatures in the high altitude areas of the tribal districts were being recorded between minus 15 to minus 25 with Patsio and Dhundi in Lahaul Spiti district recording minimum temperatures of minus 22.5 and minus seven degree Celsius respectively.

Kalpa in Kinnuar district and Solang Manali in Kullu district recorded night temperatures of minus 4.5 each, while Bhang Manali recorded a night temperature of minus two degrees, they said.

The Himachal Government has introduced helicopter services to the remote areas of the tribal districts where roads have been closed due to heavy snowfall during the last few days, official sources said, adding that two sorties were carried out between Bhuntar and Stingry yesterday.

The day and night temperatures in lower and mid hills, including Shimla, recorded a rise, mainly due to dry weather in the state. Sundernagar and Bhuntar recorded night temperatures of point eight and zero degree Celsius respectively.

Certain areas in the region reported foggy weather reducing visibility considerably. The visibility was nil at Amritsar, Halwara, Bhatinda, Adampur, Ambala and Sirsa.

The fog affected road and rail traffic at several places in Punjab. Several trains were running hours behind schedule due to poor visibility.

The cold wave conditions prevailing in many parts of Himachal Pradesh and some parts of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh were likely to continue for the next two days, according to the Weather Office here. Ground frost may occur at few places in Punjab and Haryana during the next two nights.

Cold wave lashed the plains in Haryana with the minimum hovering 5.0 degrees celsius at Narnaul, 6.1 degrees at Ambala, 6.1 degrees at Karnal and 8.5 degrees at Hissar and 7.3 degrees at a Rohtak.

In Punjab, Amritsar was the coldest place recording 5.5 degrees, followed by Ludhiana registering 6.8 degrees and Patiala 8.0 degrees.

Cold wave conditions prevailed in Chandigarh and its adjoining areas as the mercury stayed four degrees below normal. The city recorded the minimum at 4.0 degrees celsius, same as yesterday.

The Weather Office has predicted light to moderate rain or snow at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh and partly bright day with fog or mist in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours.

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