Cold wave intensifies across north India; Leh shivers at minus -15C

Cold wave intensifies across north India; Leh shivers at minus -15C

Cold wave intensifies across north India; Leh shivers at minus 17.1

Shimla : The severe cold wave sweeping the state further intensified today following snowfall in tribal areas and higher reaches and mild rainfall at isolated places.

The minimum temperatures hovered around the freezing point. Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti and Kalpa in Kinnaur recorded the minimum temperatures of minus 10.3°C and minus 7°C, respectively. Nichar and Kalpa in Kinnaur district received 10 cm and 8 cm of fresh snow while Kothi in Kullu district received 7 mm of snow, followed by Narkanda, Khadrala and Sarahan 4 cm and Keylong 1 cm.

The high altitude tribal areas reeled under biting cold conditions as the mercury stayed 10 to 15 degrees below the freezing point after fresh snowfall. Scattered rain occurred at isolated places. Wangtoo received 9 mm of rain, Banjar 4 mm and Manali 1 mm.

The minimum temperatures decreased by 2 to 3 degrees in the past 24 hours. Famous tourist destinations of Kufri, Dalhousie, Manali and Shimla shivered at minus 2.8°C, minus 1.3°C, minus 0.4°C and minus 0.1°C while Dharamsala recorded a low of 1.8°C.

The maximum temperatures also decreased by 2 to 3 degrees in the past 24 hours and were 5 to 6 degrees below normal. Una was the hottest in the region at 19.4°C.

Meanwhile, essential services like water supply was disrupted due to the freezing of water in pipes in higher reaches of Chamba, Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Shimla districts.

The local MeT office has predicted dry weather in the region over the next four days but a Western Disturbance as a cyclonic circulation over Jammu and neighbourhood now lies over Uttarakhand and neighbourhood. A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect the western Himalayan region December 22 onwards.

Moderate to dense fog is likely to occur at isolated places in Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Kangra and Solan districts for three days during morning and evening hours, reducing visibility to less than 500 metres while the cold wave may continue at isolated places in Shimla, Chamba, Solan, Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur districts and adjoining areas for three days, the MeT office cautioned.