North India is experiencing a severe cold wave, with temperatures plummeting in regions like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. On Wednesday, many northern states, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, remained under the grip of intense cold. However, popular tourist destinations like Srinagar and Shimla missed out on a “white Christmas.”
In Srinagar, a boatman navigated the frozen surface of Dal Lake on December 25, as the city recorded a low of -7.3°C. Tabo in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest in the state, with temperatures dipping to -10.6°C. In Himachal Pradesh, 134 roads, including three national highways, were closed due to snowfall in several districts.
Cold Wave Highlights:
- Delhi: The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 22.4°C on Christmas Day, two degrees above average. The minimum temperature was 8.4°C, 1.5 degrees below normal.
- Kashmir: The Kashmir Valley continued to experience severe cold, with several water bodies and water supply lines freezing. The MeT department forecasts a further dip in temperatures over the next two days. Despite the harsh conditions, tourists in Srinagar were disappointed by the lack of snowfall, as the city has yet to receive snow this season.
- Himachal Pradesh: Snowfall led to the closure of 134 roads, including three national highways. Minimum temperatures dropped further in places like Jot, which received 10 cm of snow. Power outages were reported across the state, affecting 173 transformers. However, Shimla, despite hopes for a white Christmas, was greeted by sunshine, with no snow recorded. The MeT office predicts rain and snow in some parts of the state from Friday to Sunday, with Saturday seeing the heaviest precipitation.
- Rajasthan: Dense fog persisted across many parts of Rajasthan, and light rain occurred in some areas of eastern Rajasthan. Some western Rajasthan areas recorded a “cold day.”
- Punjab: Faridkot recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 4.2°C, while Amritsar saw a low of 5.4°C and Gurdaspur 5.5°C.
- Haryana: Narnaul was the coldest in the state with a minimum of 5.2°C, while Hisar recorded 6.8°C, and Gurugram 9.3°C.
- Chandigarh: The capital recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4°C.
- Uttar Pradesh: The weather cleared up in Uttar Pradesh after two days of rain caused by western disturbances. Light drizzle had intensified the cold conditions. Lucknow recorded 0.5 mm of rainfall, which led to a drop of 1.5°C in temperatures. The IMD predicts clear weather on Thursday, with rain expected to resume on December 27.
