Chandigarh, December 18
The severe cold wave sweeping Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh claimed yet another life in Ludhiana taking the death toll in the region to five even as the mercury remained two to three degrees below normal. A blanket of dense fog enveloped most parts of north-west India this morning, affecting rail and road traffic.
A report from Ludhiana said that a beggar died due to the cold wave at the railway station.
Adampur in Jalandhar district continued to be the coldest place in the plains at
0.4°C. The minimum at Aadampur yesterday was 0.4°C.
Elsewhere in Punjab, Amritsar recorded a minimum of 1.0°C, four degrees below normal. Ludhiana registered
a minimum of 2.5°C, three degrees below normal.
The cold wave persisted in Chandigarh and its adjoining areas with the city recording 3.8°C, three degrees below
normal.
The days, however, were warm in the region with the sun bringing some relief to the
residents. Chandigarh recorded a maximum of 23°C, two degrees above normal while Amritsar was warm at 22°C, one degree above normal.
According to the Met office here the cold wave conditions are likely to continue in
Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh for the next 24 hours. Ground frost is likely to occur at isolated places in Punjab during the next two nights.
The dense fog that enveloped most areas in the region, including Amritsar, Pathankot, Halwara, Ambala, Sirsa, Bhatinda and Palam (Delhi) in the morning, reduced the visibility to zero, forcing vehicular traffic to move at snail’s pace with headlights on.
In
Haryana, Ambala was the coldest place at 4.8°C, two degrees below normal, followed by Karnal at
5°C, three degrees below normal. The minimum in Hisar stood at 5.9°C.
Several areas in Himachal Pradesh, including tribal districts of Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur and Pangi valley and Bharmour area in Chamba district, reeled under severe cold wave.
Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded 0.2°C and Bhuntar in Kulu district registered a minimum of 0.7°C, two degrees below normal. The capital town of Shimla recorded a minimum of 7.2°C, degrees above normal while the maximum was 16°C.
Light to moderate rain or snow is likely to occur in the higher reaches in Himachal Pradesh while the weather will be mainly sunny in Punjab and Haryana tomorrow, the Metrological Department said. — UNI
