Srinagar, Jammu witness season’s coldest night so far
New Delhi: With no relief in sight from the freezing weather, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said that Cold Day to ‘severe’ Cold Day conditions are likely to continue over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Rajasthan during the next two days and significantly decrease thereafter.
The IMD also predicted that dense to very dense fog is likely to continue over Northwest India during next two days and gradually decrease thereafter.
“Minimum Temperatures are in the range of 6-9 degrees Celsius over Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi; 10-12 degrees Celsius over parts of West Uttar Pradesh and northwest Madhya Pradesh; 13-15 degree Celsius over remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, interior Odisha and West Bengal,” the weatherman said in its daily bulletin.
Meanwhile, Both Srinagar and Jammu cities witnessed the coldest night of this season so far on Sunday as the minimum temperature dropped to minus 5.6 and 3.4 respectively.
Intense dry cold wave accompanied with chilly winds from the mountains added to the miseries of the locals in Kashmir as the absence of snowfall continues to worry them.
The Meteorological (MeT) statement said that Srinagar had minus 5.6, Gulmarg had minus 4.4 and Pahalgam minus 6.5 as the minimum temperature. Leh town in Ladakh region had minus 15.3 and Kargil minus 14.3 as the minimum temperature.
Jammu city had 3.4, Katra 6, Batote 2.1, Bhaderwah minus 0.2 and Banihal minus 2.2 as the minimum temperature.
The 40-day long period of harsh winter cold known as the ‘ChillaiKalan’ started on December 21 and will end on January 30.
Hopes of locals for sufficient water for drinking and irrigation during the summer months hang on the remaining part of the ChillaiKalan. If it snows sufficiently during the remaining part of the ChillaiKalan, then all would be well, otherwise the coming summer would bring hardships for the locals.
The IMD further said that it is above normal by 1-3 degrees over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh and 4-7 degrees above normal over most parts of Madhya Pradesh, interior Maharashtra, north Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand.
It noted said that maximum temperatures were in the range of 9-12 degrees over many parts of Punjab and Haryana; 13-16 degrees over north Rajasthan, Delhi, northwest Madhya Pradesh and some parts of Uttar Pradesh.
“It is below normal by 4-9 degrees Celsius over these areas,” said the weather forecast department.
The IMD also predicted dense to very dense fog conditions are very likely to prevail in night/morning hours in some parts of Punjab and in isolated pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh during Saturday to January 8 and dense fog in isolated pockets for subsequent three days.“Dense to very dense fog conditions are very likely to prevail for a few hours in the morning in isolated pockets over West Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Sunday and dense fog in isolated pockets on January 8 and January 9,” said the IMD.
The IMD also predicted dense fog conditions are also very likely to prevail for a few hours in morning in isolated pockets over eastern Uttar Pradesh during Saturday and January 10, and over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura till January 8.
It further said that Cold Day to severe Cold Day conditions are very likely to continue in some parts over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi on Saturday and Sunday and Cold Day conditions on January 8.
“Cold Day to Severe Cold Day conditions are very likely to continue in some parts over East Rajasthan and in isolated pockets of West Rajasthan on Saturday and cold day conditions in isolated pockets of Rajasthan on Sunday. ”
The IMD said that light to moderate rainfall at some places is very likely over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep during next 4-5 days.
Meanwhile, a fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Northwest India from January 8.
“Under its influence, light isolated rainfall is likely over Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on January 8 and January 9,” said the IMD.
