North India remains under the grip of severe cold

North India continued to reel under the bitter chill today as Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir recorded its coldest night of this winter and icy winds swept several parts of the region.

The minimum temperature recorded in Srinagar last night was minus 7.8 deg C, which was the coldest night this winter.

The previous low was recorded at minus 5.5 deg C, a MeT official said.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, was freezing at minus 13.6 deg C, making it the second coldest place in the Valley after Gulmarg, the official said.

While Gulmarg, famous as a skiing resort, recorded a low of minus 15.2 deg C, Kokernag resort in south Kashmir recorded minus 13.0 deg C followed by Pahalgam at minus 12.2 deg C.

Kargil town in Ladakh region was the coldest place in Kashmir division with a minimum temperature of minus 17.2 deg C. Kargil had yesterday recorded its coldest night of this winter at minus 19.6 deg C.

Leh town, also in Ladakh region, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 13.6 deg C, the official said.

The plains of Punjab and Haryana also remained the grip of the cold wave where Narnaul was the coldest at 2 deg C.

Hisar, too, experienced a cold night at 4 deg C, down four notches, while Karnal shivered at 4.4 deg C, three below normal. The minimum temperature at Ambala and Bhiwani was recorded at 6.7 deg C and 5.6 deg C, respectively.

Cold winds swept Chandigarh where the low settled at 5.4 deg C. In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a low of 4.8 deg C followed by Patiala at 5.3 deg C and Ludhiana at 6.2 deg C.

The weather office, meanwhile, warned of heavy rainfall, snowfall and hail storms in various parts of Himachal Pradesh during the next 48 hours.

Cold wave prevailed in the hill state despite marginal rise in mercury as strong icy winds continued to sweep the region.

The high altitude tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh reeled under biting cold wave with the minimum temperatures ranging between minus 17 and minus 28 deg C.

Natural sources of water like lakes, springs, rivulets and tributaries of small rivers remained frozen in these areas.

The cold wave also maintained its grip over Rajasthan.

While Churui Churu recorded 1.5 deg C, Dabok recorded 3.2 deg C, Vanasthali 3.4 deg C, Sawaimadhopur 4.8 deg C, Pilani 5.5 deg C and Bundi 5.8 deg C respectively.

In the eastern front, Belghar at Odisha’s Kandhamal district shivered at minus three deg C as cold wave affected the entire district.

The famous tourist destination of Daringbadi recorded a minimum temperature of minus two deg C followed by minus one deg each at Simanbadi and Greenbadi, official sources said.

Layers of ice were seen at many places in Belaghar, Daringbadi and other places causing immense hardship to the common people particularly the poor and homeless.

Kotagarh, Tumudibandh, Raikia, Baliguda, Tikabali and Sarangagada also in Kandhamal district recorded temperature between two to three deg C.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2801351.ece

Valley, Ladakh in for another cold wave spell

Srinagar: After moderate snowfall in the mountains and light rain in the plains during the last two days, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh are in for another spell of dry and cold weather with temperatures likely to fall much below the freezing point, the weather office said on Wednesday.

"The western disturbance which remained active here during the last two days has weakened. We are in for another spell of cold, dry weather with night temperatures likely to fall much below the freezing point in the Valley and the Ladakh region in the coming days," meteorological office director Sonam Lotus said.

In layman's terms, it means the Valley is in for another extended spell of severe cold wave from which the locals had experienced some relief as snow lashed the mountains and the plains received light rainfall during the last two days.

"Currently, there is no system in the vicinity which could cause precipitation here. We are expecting another extended spell of cold wave from today onwards", Lotus said.

Traditionally known as the severest part of winter, the 40-day long 'Chillai Kalan' started here Wednesday.

The perennial water reservoirs of the Valley which feed the scores of rivers and streams during the summer months are replenished by heavy snows during the 'Chillai Kalan'.

"Any snowfall after the 'Chillai Kalan' which ends on January 30 is traditionally believed to be of little consequence as such snows melt early and do not contribute to the replenishing of the water reservoirs up in the mountains of the Valley," said Bashir Ahmad War, a resident of North Kashmir's Ganderbal district.

The minimum temperature in summer capital Srinagar was 0.8 degrees Celsius Wednesday and the city received 4.3 centimetres of rain during the last 24 hours.

The minimum temperature was minus 5.4 degrees in South Kashmir's Pahalgam hill station while it was minus 7.5 degrees in north Kashmir's Gulmarg ski resort.

Pahalgam and Gulmarg received a snowfall of 7.6 centimetres and 9.8 centimetres respectively in the last 24 hours.

Leh town was the coldest place in the state with the mercury falling 12.0 degrees below the freezing point. Kargil town of Ladakh region recorded a minimum of minus 8.0 degrees.

Both Leh and Kargil continued to suffer severe cold wave conditions without any rain or snow during the last 24 hours, the weather office said here.