Intense cold wave sweeps region; Bathinda coldest in Punjab, Sirsa in Haryana

Chandigarh, January 3

As the biting cold swept through the north with plains, including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, reporting minimum temperatures below normal at many places, a thick blanket of fog added to the bite with a dense layer enveloping many parts with Bathinda again reporting zero visibility.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast fog in the region for the next few days with dense fog expected on Wednesday.

Bathinda remained the coldest place in Punjab with a minimum temperature of 1.2 degrees C while Sirsa was the coldest in Haryana with a minimum of minus 3 degrees C, according to reports.

Gurdaspur, meanwhile, shivered at 2 degrees C, Ludhiana 5.8 degrees C, Patiala 4.8 degrees C, Pathankot 6.6 degrees C, Faridkot 4.8 degrees C and Amritsar 5.6 degrees C.  In Haryana, Narnaul saw the mercury drop to 4 degrees C, Hisar 4.5 degrees C, Bhiwani 6.9 degrees C, and Jhajjar 5.7 degrees C.

Chandigarh registered a low of 6.6 degrees C.

Meanwhile, sub-zero night temperatures prevailed in Ladakh region and the Kashmir Valley.

The IMD said cold, dry weather with partly cloudy sky was expected to continue for the next 24 hours.

Srinagar reported minimum temperatures of minus 4.4 degree C, Pahalgam minus 7.2 degree C and Gulmarg minus 9.2 degrees C.

In the Ladakh region, Drass registered minus 20.8 degrees C, Kargil minus 17.2 degrees C and Leh minus 14 degrees C.

People in the national capital woke up to a shallow fog and a minimum temperature of 8.5 degrees C, a notch above normal.

The IMD has issued an alert for cold-day conditions and very dense fog in 36 districts of Uttar Pradesh for the next two days.

The state government has ordered closure of all schools from January 4 to 7 in view of the cold wave conditions.