Just one day before the meteorological department’s forecast, a cold snap hit Delhi and the temperature dropped between 1 and 2 degrees Celsius in Delhi and other parts of northern India.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature has fallen between 1 and 2 degrees Celsius in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi and between 3 and 5 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan in the last 24 hours.
“The lowest minimum temperatures recorded today at 8:30 am today are 0.6 degrees Celsius over Churu, followed by Narnaul and Ludhiana which have temperatures of 1.6 degrees Celsius and 2.1 degrees Celsius respectively,” said the IMD in their newsletter on Monday.
The meteorological department had previously forecast cold wave conditions in northern India as of Tuesday. “Cold snap to severe wave conditions are likely to be found in isolated areas over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and northern Rajasthan from December 28 to 29. Frost and dense fog are likely in isolated areas of the region, “IMD said Sunday.
He said a western disturbance caused a rise in temperature in the region, but once it recedes, cold snap to severe cold snap conditions will prevail in the region.
“It is very likely that there will be fairly widespread to widespread rainfall / snowfall in Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh; Scattered rains / snowfalls over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and isolated rains / storms over parts of northern Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh from December 27 to 28, ”IMD said in its all-India weather bulletin on Sunday.
Kashmir is currently under the rule of ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the harshest 40-day winter period when a cold snap takes over the region and the temperature drops considerably, causing bodies of water to freeze, including the famous Dal Lake, as well as the water supply lines in various parts of the valley.
For the plains, the IMD declares a cold snap when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or less and is 4.5 notches lower than normal.
(With inputs from agencies)
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