M A I N   N E W S

Mercury to dip, but cold to be less severe
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19
Cold weather will persist over the northwest and central India over the next two to three days, but the intensity of cold will not be as severe as it was in the first week of January when plains of the North reeled under almost sub-zero temperatures.

Indian Meteorological Department director SC Bhan said temperatures would fall further by 2°C to 3°C during the next two to three days and stabilise thereafter.

“Fog will also occur over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh over the next 48 hours. The temperatures will also go down but the weather will not be as severe as it was in the first week of January,” he said, adding that a western disturbance is expected to hit the region from January 23, bringing the temperatures back to the normal levels.

Whenever western disturbances approach, temperatures rise followed by rainfall or snow, depending upon its intensity, track and gap between two consequent systems. Moreover, the normal temperatures for this time of the month are higher than they are in the beginning of the year.

Currently, cold day conditions are prevailing over most parts of Punjab, and Haryana and isolated pockets of north Rajasthan.