North India continued to face severe cold wave conditions on Wednesday (Dec 26, 2024) even as tourists in popular destinations like Srinagar and Shimla were denied a “white Christmas”.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius while Lahaul and Tabo in Spiti district were the coldest places in Himachal Pradesh, with a night temperature of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius. Cold weather conditions persisted over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
The maximum temperature in Delhi on Christmas Day was 22.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees above the season’s average. The minimum temperature of the capital was measured at 8.4 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees lower than normal.
Minimum temperatures dropped at most places in Kashmir as the valley continued to reel in intense cold conditions, leading to freezing of many water bodies and water supply lines in many areas.
Meteorologists have said that the minimum temperature in Kashmir will drop by two to three degrees in the next two days.
Except Gulmarg, all other weather stations in the Kashmir Valley saw a drop in night temperature.
Currently in the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day harshest winter period that began on December 21, the Kashmir Valley is experiencing below-normal and minimum temperatures for this time of the season, officials said.
As the fall in mercury covered the surface of many water bodies, including the Dal Lake, with a thin layer of snow, the water supply lines became frozen.
The city was colder than Gulmarg, a tourist resort town in north Kashmir known for its skiing activities, where the mercury settled at minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, down from minus 7.4 degrees Celsius the night before, the department added.
However, tourists have complained since there was no snow in Srinagar on Christmas day. The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir has not seen any snow so far this season.
“We felt good, we had a lot of fun. There is no danger, people live with brotherhood and we celebrated Christmas,” said Poonam, a tourist from Jammu.
“It is cold. Kashmir used to have a white Christmas and it was good, but this year, there is no snow in Srinagar and people are facing hardships. We pray for good snowfall,” he added.
In Himachal, 226 roads, including three national highways, have been closed due to snowfall, officials said.
In the last 24 hours, up to 10 cm of snow fell in Jot, as the minimum temperature dropped by a few degrees, and people were affected by the cold wave.
According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, a maximum of 123 roads have been closed in Shimla district, 36 in Lahaul and Spiti and 25 in Kullu.
Similarly, electricity supply has been affected due to disruption of 173 transformers across the state.
Queen of Hills, Shimla, after the scorching sun lashed out early on Wednesday morning, brought rain to locals and tourists hoping to celebrate a white Christmas.
According to the Meteorological Division, there is a possibility of rain and snowfall from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon in some parts of the state, especially in some parts of Shimla.
Many parts of Rajasthan were shrouded in thick fog as cold conditions persisted in the state on Wednesday.
In the last 24 hours, there has been light rain at one place in East Rajasthan, while fog and thick fog have fallen at many places. A ‘cold day’ was recorded at some places in western Rajasthan.
Cold weather persisted in Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday and the minimum temperature in Faridkot was 4.2 degrees Celsius, the Meteorological Department said.
In Punjab, the minimum temperature was 5.4 degrees Celsius in Amritsar, 5.7 degrees Celsius in Amritsar and 5.5 degrees Celsius in Gurdaspur.
In Haryana, Narnaul was the coldest place with a minimum temperature of 5.2 degrees Celsius.
Hisar recorded 6.8 degrees Celsius, Karnal and Sirsa 8 degrees Celsius and Gurugram 9.3 degrees Celsius.
Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4 degrees Celsius.
Weather cleared in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday afternoon after two days of rain due to a western disturbance, weather officials said.
After light rains on Monday and Tuesday brought fog and a significant drop in temperature, the cold has increased in the last 48 hours.
According to the India Meteorological Department forecast, the weather is expected to remain clear on Thursday before rains resume from December 27.
Lucknow received 0.5 mm of rain on Wednesday morning, bringing the day temperature down by 1.5 degrees Celsius.
published – December 26, 2024 at 10:04 am IST