Cold wave continues in North West region

Chandigarh, Jan 13 (UNI) Cold wave persisted in north-west India with the mercury staying two to four degrees Celsius below normal, even as the sun was bright in the region today.

Fog reduced the visibility to 100 metres at Sarsawa, 200 metres at Adampur, 300 metres at Halwara.

Mercury dipped below normal by four degrees at Karnal, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Srinagar, three degrees at Chandigarh, Jammu and two degrees at Ambala, Bhuntar and Shimla.

Cold wave conditions prevailing at many places in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are likely to abate in the next two days, according to the Weather Office here. Ground frost may occur at many places in Punjab and few places in Haryana during the next two nights.

Cold wave lashed Punjab with Adampur continuing to be the coldest place in the plains, recording the minimum temperature at minus 1.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Amritsar registering minus 0.3 degrees C. Ludhiana recorded 2.4 degrees, Patiala 2.6 degrees.

Cold wave also swept Haryana with the minimum temperature two to four degrees below normal. Narnaul in Mahendergarh district experienced severe cold as the mercury dipped to zero degree Celsius. The minimum temperature at Karnal and Rohtak was 3.4 degrees, 4.6 degrees at Hissar and 4.8 degrees at Ambala.

Cold wave conditions prevailed here in the city and its adjoining areas as the mercury stayed low. The city recorded the minimum at 4.0 degrees celsius which was still three degrees below normal.

There was no let up in the cold wave in Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar recorded further fall in the minimum to minus 5.9 degrees C, four degrees below normal, while the mercury settled at 5 degrees, three degree below normal at Jammu.

As many as 19 people have died due to the cold wave and fog-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana so far.

The Met Office has predicted mainly sunny days in the region with fog or mist occuring during night and morning in Punjab and Haryana in the the next 24 hours.

UNI