Cold wave conditions prevailed in isolated pockets in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, and fog cover was observed in some areas in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said.
The weather office predicted cold conditions in isolated places of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh and north-east Rajasthan on Saturday. A fall in minimum temperatures by 2-3 degrees is possible in north-west India during the next two days, it added.
On Friday, the minimum temperature in Delhi settled at 6.1 degrees Celsius, three notches below the normal. The maximum was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius.
Relative humidity at 8.30 am was 97 per cent. The weatherman has forecast mainly clear sky with the possibility of haze for Saturday.
Cold conditions intensified in Himachal Pradesh on Friday with major tourist hotspots Shimla, Kufri, Manali and Dalhousie shivering at sub-zero temperatures.
Minimum temperatures were 1 to 2 degrees below the normal, with tribal district Lahaul and Spiti’s administrative centre Keylong being the coldest place in the state at minus 11.1 degrees Celsius.
Kalpa recorded a low of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Kufri at minus 4.5 degrees Celsius, Manali minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, Shimla minus 1.4 degrees Celsius and Dalhousie minus 1.2 degrees Celsius.
The weatherman has forecast thundershowers in the plains, low hills and rain, snowfall in middle and high hills of the state on February 13.
Minimum temperatures in Kashmir stayed several degrees below the freezing point on Friday, with Pahalgam being the coldest recorded place in the valley.
The mercury in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam dropped to minus 10.5 degrees Celsius from 7.4 degrees Celsius a night earlier. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius. In Srinagar city, the mercury settled at minus 2.7 degrees against minus 3.2 degrees Celsius the previous night.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Kupwara at minus 4 degrees Celsius and Kokernag minus 2.1 degrees Celsius.
Chillai Kalan, the 40-day harshest period of winter in Kashmir, ended on January 30 but the cold wave conditions are expected to persist for the next few days.
Cold weather conditions prevailed at most places in Punjab and Haryana on Friday, with minimum temperatures hovering below normal limits. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 6.7 degrees Celsius.
Halwara in Punjab and Karnal in Haryana were the coldest places in the respective states, recording minimum temperatures of 3.6 degrees Celsius and 3 degrees Celsius respectively.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a low of 5 degrees Celsius, Bathinda 4.3 degrees Celsius, Faridkot 4 degrees Celsius, Gurdaspur 4.8 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 4.6 degrees Celsius, Adampur 4.1 degrees Celsius, Pathankot 6.2 degrees Celsius and Patiala 4.6 degrees Celsius.
In Haryana, Narnaul recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius, Hisar 4.8 degrees Celsius, Ambala 5.4 degrees Celsius, Bhiwani 6.3 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 5 degrees Celsius and Sirsa 5.9 degrees Celsius.
In Rajasthan, it was another day of winter chill on Friday, with the state’s lowest temperature recorded in Sikar at 4 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Eranpura Road was 6 degrees Celsius, while Churu and Sri Ganganagar recorded at 6.6 and 6.7 degrees Celsius respectively.
In Pilani, Jodhpur, Ajmer and Bikaner, the minimum temperatures were recorded at 7.1, 7.2, 7.8 and 8.4 degrees Celsius respectively. Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Barmer saw their respective lows settle at 9.4, 10.3 and 10.5 degrees Celsius.
The Meteorological department forecast similar weather conditions for Saturday.
The IMD bulletin predicted unseasonal rains and dense fog in 11 districts of Odisha on Saturday, prompting the state government issued an advisory asking all district collectors to be prepared to tackle the eventuality.
The weather office said that apart from rain, strong winds with speed reaching 30-40 kmph will blow in all the 11 districts.
