|
Chandigarh
|
0 °C
|
Drass in Ladakh region, the second coldest place
on earth after Siberia |
- 30 °C |
Leh
|
- 20 °C
|
Shimla
|
- 4.4 °C
|
Srinagar
|
- 5.8 °C
|
Narnaul
|
0 °C
|
Adampur
|
- 3.6 °C
|
Delhi (The second lowest
of the season so far
and coldest of last
five years)
|
2.4 °C
|
|
Chandigarh, January 24
The prevailing cold wave intensified today, with most parts of the region reporting ground frost for the first time this season. Like Chandigarh, where night temperature dipped to freezing point at 0 degree, most weather stations in the north-western meteorological zone shivered under the impact of extreme cold. Yesterday night was the coldest night of winter at most places, including Chandigarh. Shimla recorded the coldest night in 15 years — 4.4 °C.
Although Adampur in Punjab was the worst hit, with mercury falling to minus 3.6° C, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala were no better, with temperature dipping to minus 2 ° C, minus 1.7 ° C and minus 0.9 ° C respectively.
Closer to Ludhiana, Halwara airbase reeled under chill as night temperature reached minus 1.2° C; life in Malwa was also hit hard as minimum temperature reached 1° C. Intense cold conditions were reported from Pathankot where night temperature was a low of 0.6° C.
In neighbouring Haryana too, minimum temperatures hovered 3 to 8° C below normal, plummeting to minus 1.3° C at Ambala, 0° C at Narnaul, 0.6° C at Karnal, 1.3° C at Rohtak and 3.0° C at Hisar.
Many other parts of the north-west meanwhile reported heavy fog; visibility was reduced to 800 metres at Sarsawa and 500 metre at Udhampur. Speaking to The Tribune today, Met officials said cold was likely to grip the region further and ground frost will occur at many places across the region. Conditions are likely to abate in a day or two, said Chattar Singh, director, Met Chandigarh.
