Cold wave intensifies in Himachal; Kukumseri in Lahaul Spiti records -7.6°C

Shimla, December 17

Biting cold wave conditions gripped most parts of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday as the mercury dropped marginally even as the dry spell continued.

The minimum temperatures hovered around freezing point at many places and stayed below normal at several places.

Kukumseri in tribal Lahaul Spiti district recorded a low of -7.6°C, while Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district registered a minimum temperature of -3.2°C, followed by Reckongpeo (-0.3°C), Narkanda (-0.1°C) and Bhuntar (0.8°C). The mercury stayed close to the freezing point at Kufri, Sundernagar, Solan, Mandi and Dalhousie.

The maximum day temperatures also stayed three to five degrees Celsius below normal at many places and Dalhousie, Chamba and Solan recorded a high of 8.4°C, 17.8°C and 17.5°C, which were 6.2°C, 4.5°C and 3.5°C below normal, respectively. Shimla recorded a high of 13°C, two notches below normal.

The local meteorological station has predicted dry weather in the state for four days till December 21 and rainfall at isolated places in mid hills and rains or snow in higher hills on December 22 and 23.

The state received 45 mm post-monsoon rains from October 1 to December 17 against normal rainfall of 51.6 mm, a deficit of 27 per cent.