Weather Updates: Delhi’s Mercury Drops Further; Fresh Snowfall Expected In Himachal, J&K

Delhi continued to reel under cold weather on Wednesday, marking its third straight day of low temperatures. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4°C and a maximum of 15°C. While the minimum temperature stayed within the normal range, the maximum was a significant four degrees below the seasonal average.

At Safdarjung, the highest temperature was 15°C, which is 4.3 degrees below the normal. The maximum at Palam weather station was a little less at 12.8°C, two degrees below average.

Fog And Smog Likely In Delhi

For Thursday, regional meteorological offices have forecast smog and moderate fog in most areas, but dense fog in isolated regions may occur during the morning. The weather should remain partly cloudy with shallow fog expected in the evening and night. Surface winds are expected to be between 10 and 15 kmph.

The cold wave has tightened its grip on Rajasthan, which has brought life to a grinding halt in many places. On Wednesday morning, the temperature in Jaipur touched 7.2°C, and Bikaner and Churu were even lower at 7°C and 6°C, respectively, according to reports from IMD.

Chilly Weather In Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh also saw biting cold, with dense fog covering several areas, including Ayodhya. Meerut has witnessed 9°C, and Lucknow recorded 10°C, which marked another decline in the mercury levels.

Officials said that Himachal Pradesh’s mid and high hills are set to face new snowfall and rainfall from January 2 onwards. The met department has also predicted snow in the region for January 4-7; heavy rain was forecasted to occur on 5th and 6th January.

While the plains and low hills are likely to remain dry, Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 21.4°C. The lowest minimum temperature was reported at -16.7°C in Tabo village of Lahaul and Spiti.

During the past 24 hours, the state has mostly witnessed dry weather. The temperature recordings have been Shimla at 7.6°C, Dharamshala at 5.9°C, Manali at 2.4°C, and Kalpa at -3.8°C.

Intensifying Cold In Jammu And Kashmir

Cold conditions have intensified across Jammu and Kashmir, with the region bracing for fresh snowfall as two western disturbances are approaching the state.

There will be a weak western disturbance in the region between January 1 and 2, resulting in light snowfall in scattered areas. From January 3 to 6, a relatively stronger system is likely to cause moderate snowfall across most parts with the possibility of heavy snowfall in higher altitudes.

Night temperatures plummeted further in Kashmir, as the cold wave intensified. Gulmarg, the popular ski resort, recorded a low of -8.8°C, which was just a slight improvement over the night before when it had read -11.5°C while remaining the coldest in the valley.

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