Bathinda colder than Shimla

CHANDIGARH: Intense cold wave swept through the region with Bathinda in the heart of Malwa region of Punjab getting colder than the hill station of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. According to the meteorological department, Bathinda recorded a low of 2.7 degrees Celsius, while the capital city of Himachal recorded 2.8.

A thick blanket of fog enveloped several areas of Punjab and Haryana, thus adversely affecting, air, rail and road traffic even as most areas in the two states shivered under intense cold, the Met office said.

In Punjab, Faridkot braved a low of 3 degrees Celsius, Amritsar settled at 4.2 degrees Celsius. Pathankot recorded 5.7 degrees, Adampur 5.8, Ludhiana 8.4 degrees, and Patiala 8.6 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Sirsa registered a low of 4.8 degrees Celsius, Karnal recorded 8 degrees, Hisar 7.3 degrees, and Ambala 8.9 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh, the joint capital of the two states, recorded 8.7 degrees, the MeT said.

Biting cold wave conditions also persisted in most parts of Himachal Pradesh as minimum temperatures dropped further and icy winds swept the region. Kalpa and Manali in the hill state shivered under sub-zero temperatures with minimum temperatures at -4.8 degrees and -3.2 degrees, respectively, while the mercury hovered around freezing point at several places in mid and higher hills.

Kashmir reeled under extreme cold conditions as the mercury stayed several degrees below the freezing point. In Srinagar, the mercury settled at -4.3 degrees Celsius. Leh in Ladakh region was the coldest in Jammu and Kashmir as the minimum temperature fell slightly from Monday’s -14.5 to -14.7 degrees. The night temperature in Pahalgam, the famous health resort, recorded a low of -6.6°.