Icy winds from hills cause dip in mercury across north India
New Delhi: The mercury took a dip across north India on Thursday, a day after rains lashed the region, and fog led to reduced visibility at many places, including in Rajasthan's Churu, where eight people died when a van collided with a bus.
Pahalgam was the coldest in the Kashmir Valley at minus 13.7 degree Celsius and Mt. Abu recorded the lowest in Rajasthan at minus 2.4 degree Celsius. Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh registered a minimum of minus 14.6 degree Celsius, the lowest in the state.
Similarly, Amritsar was the coldest in Punjab at 2.2 degree Celsius and Hisar, at 3.2 degree Celsius, registered the lowest temperature in Haryana.
In Delhi, the minimum temperature dropped on Thursday and is expected to dip further over the weekend due to icy winds coming in from the hills, weather experts said. The city recorded a minimum of 8.4 degree Celsius, while the maximum settled at 15 degree Celsius.
"The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to fall by 2 to 3 degree Celsius over the plains of northwest India in the next 48 hours," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement.
The Safdarjung Observatory recorded 10.8 mm rainfall overnight, the Palam weather station 10 mm and Lodhi Road 10.9 mm, it said. Another spell of rains is expected in Delhi-NCR around January 13-14 due to a fresh western disturbance, weather experts said.
Most of the middle and high hills of Himachal Pradesh, including tourist destinations Shimla, Kufri and Manali, witnessed sub-zero temperatures. The Meteorological Centre in Shimla forecast rain and snowfall in the region from January 11 to 15, however it issued a 'yellow' warning for Monday only.
Maximum temperatures across the state were 8 to 9 degree below the normal.
As many as 935 snow-bound roads in the state, including five national highways and one state highway, remain blocked. Train service between Shimla and Kalka was normal.
A separate charter train was run on the Shimla-Solan route during the day.
Bus service from the Inter State Bus Terminus in Shimla to Chandigarh, Delhi and other parts resumed on Thursday morning.
The minimum temperature in Kinnaur's Kalpa was minus 9.1 degree Celsius, followed by Manali at minus 7.8, Dalhousie at minus 5.6, Kufri at minus 5.2 and Shimla at minus 3.7 degree Celsius. The minimum temperature in both Solan and Palampur of Kangra district was recorded at minus 0.8 degree Celsius.
Power and water supply have been adversely affected in many areas of Himachal Pradesh.
Cold wave conditions persisted in the Kashmir valley, where the night temperature in Pahalgam and Gulmarg resorts plummeted to minus 13 degree Celsius. Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.0 degree Celsius.
