At 0°C, Hisar colder than Shimla

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, December 29

With the mercury dipping to zero degrees Celsius today, Hisar was colder than Shimla where the lowest temperature was recorded at 1.6 degrees Celsius.

The Indian Meteorological Department weather bulletin stated that Hisar’s lowest temperature was seven degrees below normal.

Severe cold wave has gripped the region and frost was noticed in the open grounds and agricultural fields in the morning. Farmers say a layer of white blanket was spotted in the fields today morning. Due to severe cold wave, the IMD has issued orange alert in the region for two days.

Farmers said the frost was likely to damage vegetable and mustard crops, but it was not harmful for the wheat crop. Tomato, peas, chilli, cauliflower, potato and other seasonal vegetables will suffer damage due to frost.

Subhash Chander, a farmer of Shahpur village near Hisar, said: “Extreme cold temperature and frost has started damaging vegetables. Even mustard, which is in the grain-formation stage in the region, will be adversely affected.”

Dr ML Khichar, head, Agriculture Meteorology Department in the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University (HAU), said frost was harmful for vegetables and fruit-laden plants of the rabi crops and nurseries.

“Farmers should irrigate the fields during the day to maintain surface temperature and cover the nurseries with cloth or polythene to protect it from frost,” he said.

The weather report of the IMD stated that the maximum temperate of the day was recorded at 18 degrees Celsius yesterday, which is also three degrees below the normal temperature.

The IMD predicted that the minimum temperature was likely to increase gradually next week as weather was likely to be partly cloudy from tomorrow. It predicted possibility of rain or thunderstorm on January 4.

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