Cold wave grips Punjab and Haryana as hill snowfall increases chill; normal life hit

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Winter is steadily increasing in the northern and eastern states of the country. According to the Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures remain below normal in Kashmir, Himachal, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. A cold wave alert has been issued for some areas of Punjab, Haryana, and eastern Rajasthan. The possibility of snowfall in the hilly areas and fog in the plains has increased.

The Kashmir Valley is currently reeling under severe cold. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of -4 degrees Celsius on Thursday, one of the coldest mornings of the season. The maximum temperature was around 12.6 degrees. The Meteorological Department says temperatures in Kashmir may drop further. Due to the activation of a western disturbance, rain and snowfall are expected in the higher reaches of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, Chamba, and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh on Friday.

The weather is expected to clear on Saturday, while rain and snowfall are expected again on December 7th. A yellow alert for dense fog has been issued for the Bhakra Dam area and surrounding areas on Friday and Saturday. Minimum temperatures dropped below 5 degrees Celsius at many places in the state.

The temperature was recorded at -7.4 degrees Celsius in Tabo, -4 in Kukumseri, -3.9 in Samdo, -0.6 in Kalpa, 2.3 in Solan, 2.3 in Manali, 5.8 in Dharamshala and 6.8 in Shimla. The Meteorological Department has warned of snowfall in Himachal Pradesh on December 5 and 7, while the weather will remain clear from December 8 to 10. The temperature is likely to rise by 2-3 degrees Celsius in the next 24 hours, but nights will remain cold.

Dense fog is likely to occur in the morning hours in some areas of Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during 5th to 9th December, in Himachal Pradesh during 5th to 7th December and in Odisha on 5th and 6th December.

According to the IMD, light to moderate fog is expected over Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh over the next two days. Snowfall activity will increase with a new system in the Himalayan region. Weather will remain dry in South India, with no major warnings. Cold will increase across most parts of the country. The Meteorological Department has advised people to wear warm clothing in the morning and evening, and to take special precautions, especially for children and the elderly, to protect themselves from the cold.

Days have become colder in Punjab and the maximum temperature has dropped by 0.3 degrees. Due to this, the mercury has been recorded 1.7 degrees below normal. The highest temperature of 23.2 degrees was recorded in Patiala. Although the minimum temperature of Punjab has increased by 0.6 degrees, but at present it remains 1.6 degrees below normal. Adampur was the coldest on Thursday with a minimum temperature of 3.0 degrees. Whereas the minimum temperature of Faridkot was recorded at 3.2 degrees and Bathinda at 3.8 degrees. The Meteorological Department has also issued a yellow alert for cold wave in eight districts of Punjab for Friday.