People shiver under cold climatic conditions in region

Chandigarh, Dec 11 (UNI) People in north-west India shivered under cold conditions following another spell of snowfall in Himachal Pradesh and rain in the plains today.

Cold surface winds blew across the region as the Sun remained drapped in clouds even as the minimum temperatures stayed above normal in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

Piercing cold wave swept the entire Himachal Pradesh following moderate to heavy snowfall in higher reaches and widespread rains in the lower areas of the state overnight.

Shimla and its adjoining areas experienced snowfall for the second day today. Upper areas of Shimla district, including tourist places of Wildflower Hall, Kufri, Naldehra and Narkanda, also had snowfall.

The movement of vehicular traffic was disrupted at several places between Fagu and Kufri and Narkanda and Khada Pathar on the 320 km long Hindustan-Tibet Highway following snowfall, a report from Shimla said.

Tribal districts of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur and Pangi valley and Bharmour area in Chamba district had a moderate snowfall, plumetting the temperature.

The 13050-foot high Rohtang Pass, access to Lahaul Spiti district, and Dhauladhar mountain ranges, overlooking the picturesque Kangra valley, experienced heavy snowfall, intensifying cold wave in Kullu and Kangra valleys.

The tribal areas reeled under freezing cold wave with the temperatures hovering around minus five degrees to minus 15 degrees celsius. Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded minus 4.5 degrees celsius. Many natural water sources and lakes have already frozen in the tribal areas due to intense cold.

Lower areas of Himachal Pradesh were lashed by rains for the second day today bringing a considerable fall in the temperatures and forcing people to remain indoors.

In Punjab, several areas , including Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala, were lashed by rain overnight. The minimum temperatures, however, stayed above normal in the state. Amritsar recorded the minimum temperature at 9.0 degrees, Ludhiana 10.6 degrees and Patiala 11.7 degrees celsius.

In Haryana, where Ambala and Karnal were lashed by rain overnight, the minimum temperature hovered above normal by five degrees at Hissar and three degrees each at Ambala and Karnal, respectively recording 12.5 degrees, 10.6 degrees and 12.4 degrees celsius.

However, the minimum stayed low at Narnaul recording 9.5 degrees, three degrees below normal.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas were also lashed by intermittent rain since last night. The city recorded the minimum temperature at 10.6 degrees celsius, four degrees above normal.

The Weather Office has predicted moderate to rather heavy rain or snow at many places in Himachal Pradesh and light to moderate rain or thundershowers at many places in Punjab and few places in Haryana during the next 48 hours.

Hailstorm or thundersquall with speed exceeding 45 km per hour is likely to occur at isolated places in the region during the period.

UNI