Tourists click photos near a partially frozen Dal Lake, in Srinagar, on Wednesday. Pic/PTI
North India continued to endure severe cold wave conditions on Wednesday, although tourists in popular destinations such as Srinagar and Shimla were left disappointed, missing out on a 'White Christmas', news agency PTI reported.
While Srinagar recorded a low of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius, Tabo in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh was the coldest place in the state, with a night temperature of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius. Cold weather conditions persisted in North India in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, national capital Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius on Christmas Day, two degrees above the season's average. The minimum temperature in the national capital was recorded at 8.4 degrees Celsius, which is 1.5 degrees below normal.
In Kashmir, the minimum temperatures dropped at most locations, with the valley continuing to experience intense cold conditions, leading to the freezing of several water bodies and supply lines in many areas, PTI reported. The weather bureau has predicted a further dip of two to three degrees in minimum temperatures in Kashmir over the next two days.
Except for Gulmarg, the night temperatures dropped across all other weather stations in the Kashmir valley. Currently under the grip of âChillai-Kalan', the harshest 40-day winter period that began on December 21, the valley is experiencing below-normal maximum and minimum temperatures, officials said.
The drop in mercury has led to the freezing of water supply lines, with a thin layer of ice covering the surface of several water bodies, including Dal Lake. The city was colder than Gulmarg, a well-known tourist resort in north Kashmir, where the mercury settled at minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, up from minus 7.4 degrees Celsius the previous night.
However, tourists expressed disappointment at not experiencing snowfall in Srinagar on Christmas. The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir has yet to see snowfall this season. "We felt good, we enjoyed a lot. There is no danger, people live together in brotherhood, and we celebrated Christmas," said Poonam, a tourist from Jammu. "It is colder. Kashmir used to have a white Christmas, and it was great, but this year, there has been no snowfall in Srinagar, and people are facing difficulties. We pray for a good snowfall," she added.
In Himachal Pradesh, snowfall led to the closure of 226 roads, including three national highways. People endured severe cold as minimum temperatures dropped further in Jot, which received 10 cm of snow in the past 24 hours. The state's emergency operation centre reported that 123 roads in Shimla district, 36 in Lahaul and Spiti, and 25 in Kullu were closed. Additionally, 173 transformers were disrupted, affecting power supply across the state.
Locals and tourists in Shimla were also disappointed as the city was greeted by bright sunshine on Christmas Day, dashing hopes of a white Christmas. The Met office has predicted rain and snow at isolated places in parts of the state, particularly in Shimla, from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, with precipitation expected to peak on Saturday.
In Rajasthan, many areas were shrouded in dense fog as cold conditions persisted across the state. Light rain occurred at one location in eastern Rajasthan over the last 24 hours, while fog and dense fog prevailed at many places. A 'cold day' was recorded in some areas of western Rajasthan.
Cold weather conditions also continued in Punjab and Haryana, with Faridkot recording the lowest minimum temperature at 4.2 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a minimum of 5.4 degrees Celsius, Gurdaspur 5.5 degrees Celsius, and Patiala 5.7 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Narnaul was the coldest place at 5.2 degrees Celsius, while Hisar recorded 6.8 degrees Celsius, Karnal and Sirsa 8 degrees Celsius, and Gurugram 9.3 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh, the common capital of both states, recorded a low of 7.4 degrees Celsius.
Weather across Uttar Pradesh cleared up on Wednesday afternoon after two days of rain caused by western disturbances, MeT officials said. The light drizzle on Monday and Tuesday had resulted in fog and a noticeable drop in temperatures, intensifying the cold conditions over the past 48 hours. According to the India Meteorological Department's forecast, the weather is expected to remain clear on Thursday, with rains likely to resume on December 27. On Wednesday morning, Lucknow recorded 0.5 mm of rainfall, causing a drop of 1.5°C in the day's temperature.
(With PTI inputs)
