North-west region in grip of severe cold wave

Chandigarh, Jan 2 (UNI) North-west India was in the grip of severe cold wave today with the mercury dipping to minus one degrees Celsius at Amritsar and minus 0.5 degrees celsius at Ambala.

The night temperatures hovered three degrees to eight degrees below normal in the plains where several areas, including Adampur, Halwara, Ambala, Sarsawa Hindon and Palam in Delhi remained shrouded in thick fog.

A severe cold wave swept Punjab and Haryana where ground frost is likely to occur at many places in the next two nights, according to the Weather Office here.

In Punjab, the minimum temperature dipped to minus 2.6 degrees Celsius at Adampur, near Jalandhar, turning it as the coldest place in the plains, followed by Amritsar registering minus 1.0 degrees, five degrees below normal.

The minimum temperature also fell at Ludhiana but remained static at Patiala, respectively recording minus 0.1 degrees, six degrees below normal, and 1.0 degrees which was six degrees down.

Halwara airbase, near Ludhiana, was cold at minus 1.0 degrees Celsius while Pathankot recorded a low of 2.6 degrees and Bathinda 2.0 degrees Celsius, a report from Jalandhar said.

Piercing cold wave also lashed Haryana as the mercury hovered four degrees to eight degrees below normal at various places in the state.

The night temperature dipped to minus 0.5 degrees celsius, eight degrees below normal, at Ambala, turning the town as the coldest place in the state.

Karnal registered 0.2 degrees, seven degrees below normal while Narnaul in Mahendergarh district showed 0.5 degrees, four degrees below normal. Rohtak recorded 1.9 degrees, four degrees below normal, and Hissar 4.5 degrees.

Cold wave also swept mid and lower hills in Himachal Pradesh with people in tribal areas facing freezing cold wave. The Kullu valley and Una in lower hills continued to be under the impact of severe cold wave.

Una recorded minus 2.5 degrees while Kalpa in higher hills registered minus 3.8 degrees celsius.

The minimum plummeted to minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal, at Bhuntar in Kullu district and to minus 1.4 degrees at Sundernagar in Mandi district.

Icy-cold winds lashed Shimla and its adjoining areas with the capital town recording the minimum at 3.1 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh also reeled under cold wave conditions. The city recorded the night temperature at 2.0 degrees, four degrees below normal.

There was no let up in the cold wave in the Kashmir valley with Srinagar recording minus 7.4 degrees while Jammu registered 4.0 degrees, three degrees below normal. Delhi also reeled under severe cold with Safderjung recording 1.9 degrees, five degrees below normal.

The cold wave conditions are likely to continue for the next two days. The Met office predicted partly cloudy days in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh during the next 48 hours.

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