Mercury falls further in Punjab

Chandigarh, Feb 1 (UNI) The mercury today fell further in many parts of Punjab, touching 4.5 degrees Celsius at Amritsar, but rose in adjoining Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

A thick fog enveloped several areas in the north-west region, reducing visibility to zero at Adampur, Halwara and Sarsawa and upto 100 metres at Udhampur, Sirsa and Suratgarh, 500 metres at Ambala, 700 metres at Palam (Delhi) and 800 metres at Hindon and Bhatinda.

Jammu, Pathankot and Chandigarh experienced haze while Amritsar reported mist.

Amritsar, where cold climatic conditions returned following further drop in the minimum temperature from yesterday's 6.4 degrees, turned out to be the coldest place in the plains.

The minimum also dipped at Ludhiana, which recording 5.3 degrees, two degrees below normal, but increased at Patiala showing 10.7 degrees, three degrees above normal.

Parts of Haryana registered a gradual increase in the minimum temperatures reaching 10.1 degrees, three degrees above normal, at Ambala and 10.3 degrees at Karnal, two degrees above normal.

However Hissar with 11.1 degrees recorded a fall in the mercury.

The temperatures also rose in mid and lower hills in Himachal Pradesh with Bhuntar in Kullu district recording 2.8 degrees, one degree above normal. The minimum hovered six degrees above normal at Shimla registering 7.8 degrees celsius. However, the mercury slightly dropped from 4.6 degrees to 4.1 degrees at Sunderngar in Mandi district.

Tribal areas, reeling under cold wave, also showed rise in the mercury. The minimum temperature, which had plunged to minus 2.8 degrees yesterday rose to 0.2 degrees Celsius at Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district today.

Chandigarh also recorded an increase in the minimum temperature from 10.6 degrees to 12.4 degrees, a four degrees above normal.

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

UNI