Cold wave conditions persisted across north India on Wednesday as rains drenched several states while hilly areas received snowfall, with the weather office predicting more downpour and snow in some places in the next few days.
Rainfall was observed in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir and at isolated regions in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Dense to very dense fog was observed in Bihar, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, eastern Uttar Pradesh and at isolated pockets in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Odisha. Moderate fog occurred in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh.
Delhi witnessed a drop in the minimum temperature as cold northwesterly winds continued to blow in from the hills. The city recorded a low of 6.4 degrees Celsius, over four notches less than that recorded on Tuesday (10.5 degrees Celsius).
The maximum temperature settled at 19.9 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. Moderate rains or thunderstorm or hailstorm is expected in the national capital on Thursday.
In the Kashmir Valley, snowfall continued for the fourth consecutive day, leading to cancellation of all flights here. While the plains received light to moderate snowfall, the higher reaches of the valley and Jammu and Ladakh regions experienced heavy snowfall.
The Meteorological (MeT) office has forecast isolated to scattered snowfall across the valley over the next few days.
In Uttarakhand, the MeT Department warned of heavy snowfall and rain in different parts on Thursday and Friday. Heavy snowfall is likely to occur at isolated places located at a height of 3,000 metres and above in Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts on January 16 and 17.
Heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in Tehri, Pauri, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts even as hail may occur at some places especially in Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts.
In Himachal Pradesh, Keylong was recorded the coldest place with a minimum temperature of minus 8.2 degrees Celsius as cold weather conditions persisted in the hill state. Popular tourist spots Kufri and Manali also recorded sub-zero temperatures.
The minimum temperature in Lahaul-Spiti district's administrative centre Keylong was recorded at minus 8.2 degrees Celsius.
The MeT Centre has forecast rain, snowfall in some parts of high and middle hills of Himachal from January 16 to 18 and January 20 to 21, and thundershowers in plains and low hills on January 16, 17 and 21.
In Rajasthan, cold wave conditions continued unabated as the minimum temperature dropped by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius in most parts of the state, with Pilani being the coldest place in the state at 1.5 degree Celsius followed by Churu 2, Sriganganagar 3.4, Sikar 5, Phalodi and Bikaner 5.4 each, Jaisalmer 5.9.
The maximum temperature also dropped by 1 to 6 degree Celsius at most places of the state in the last 24 hours.
In Punjab and Haryana, the minimum temperatures settled close to the freezing point at a few places as cold wave continued to sweep most parts the two states.
Narnaul 2.5 degrees Celsius, Hisar 2.6 degrees Celsius, Sirsa 3.8 degrees Celsius in Haryana and Amritsar 2.6 degrees Celsius, Halwara 2.5 degrees Celsius, Gurdaspur 3 degrees Celsius, Faridkot 3.5 degrees Celsius and Bathinda 3.1 degrees Celsius in Punjab reeled under piercing cold.
Uttar Pradesh observed light rains at isolated places as cold wave conditions persisted in the state. Many places in the eastern and the western of the state were engulfed by a blanket of dense fog in the morning.
The weatherman has forecast very dense fog in many pockets in Bihar during next 24 hours and dense fog in isolated places in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, south Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura over the next three days.
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