The twin towns of Leh and Kargil in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir shivered at around minus 12 degrees Celsius on Monday even as there was improvement in the minimum temperature at most places in the Valley.
Leh experienced the coldest night of the season so far with the mercury settling at minus 12.2 degrees Celsius against the previous night’s low of minus 12.1, a MET department official said.
The night temperature in Leh has decreased by more than seven degrees over the last two days and the town continues to be the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, adding the nearby Kargil town also shivered at minus 12.1 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund and Kokernag in south Kashmir were the other places in Kashmir division where the night temperature decreased from the previous night, the official said.
Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, registered a low of minus 0.8 deg C compared to the previous night’s 0.8, he said.
While the mercury in Kokernag settled at a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, Srinagar -- the summer capital of the State -- recorded a low of 2.0, up by nearly three degrees from minus 0.8 the previous night.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered an increase of over 8 degree Celsius in the night temperature as the minimum settled at minus 1 compared to the previous night’s minus 9.2 degrees C, the MeT official said.
Mercury in the other famous tourist resort of Pahalgam in South Kashmir, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, settled at minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, he said.
The night temperatures also increased in Kupwara as the mercury there settled at minus 0.8 as against minus 2.5 degrees Celsius.
There is possibility of isolated rains over two days from Wednesday, the MET office stated.
The higher hills of Himachal Pradesh received another spell of moderate snowfall. Most parts of Himachal Pradesh shivered under piercing cold wave conditions as high altitude tribal areas and other higher ranges received another spell of moderate snowfall and foggy conditions prevailed in mid and lower hills.
The temperature dropped by a few notches and Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district recorded minimum temperature at minus 4.6 degree C while Manali and Kalpa recorded a low of minus 3 and minus 2.2 degree C.
The high altitude tribal areas groaned under biting cold wave conditions with minimum temperatures staying between minus 8 and minus 14.
Dark clouds overcast Shimla sky and strong velocity icy winds swept the region causing sharp fall in day temperature (8.8 degree C), forcing people to stay indoors.
Meanwhile, cold wave conditions swept many parts of Haryana and Punjab, with Narnaul turning out to be the coldest place at 2.5 degree C.
In Narnaul, the minimum temperature dropped four notches below normal level, while Hisar experienced a cold night at 4.5 degree C, three notches less than normal. Minimum temperature in Ambala, however, settled at 9.3 degree C.
In Punjab, Amritsar had a cold night at 6 while Ludhiana also experienced the chill at 6.8 degree C.
Churu freezes at minus 0.4
Intense cold wave conditions swept across Rajasthan with train services being disrupted due to fog, even as Churu froze at minus 0.4 degree Celsius, about seven notches below normal.
Temperature further dipped by one to three degree Celsius at almost all places as the north-westerly cold wave gripped the entire State in last 24 hours with Mount Abu recording a low of one degree Celsius, the report said.
Ten trains of North Western Railways were running late by about 30 minutes to 9 hours and 20 minutes owing to fog in neighbouring States of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab, an NWR, CPRO Tarun Jain said here.
Srigangangar-Rishikesh train has been rescheduled due to foggy weather for Monday, he added.
Hawara-Srigangangar train is running about 9 hours and 20 minutes late, followed by New Tinsukhia-Lalgarh by 5 hours and 25 minutes, and Sealdah-Ajmer and Sriganganagar trains by 3 hours and 20 minutes, the official said.
Jaipurites experienced the lowest temperature of the season early this morning with mercury touching 5.4 degrees Celsius, about 5 degrees below normal.
Sikar recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Srigangangar 3.9, Phalodi 5, Jaisalmer 5.4, Chittorgarh 5.5, Udaipur 6.4, Bikaner 7.3, Barmer 8.3, and Kota 9.9 degrees Celsius.
The weather department has predicted that cold conditions would continue and mercury may fall further in next 24 hours in the State. - PTI
