Temp rise in parts of north India, no significant change likely in next 2-3 days

NEW DELHI: Parts of north India saw an upward trend in temperatures on Wednesday even as cold conditions persisted in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana.

There was a fog cover at a few places in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and west Rajasthan, the weather office said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said no significant change in minimum and maximum temperatures is likely in the country during the next two to three days.

It was a clear morning in the national capital with the minimum temperature settling three notches below the season's normal at 6.7 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 23 degrees Celsius, two notches below the normal.

The maximum and minimum temperature on Tuesday were 22.7 degrees Celsius and 5.3 degrees Celsius, respectively, on Tuesday.

There was a drop in the minimum temperature at most places in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the coldest place in the Valley at minus 11 degrees Celsius. In south Kashmir's Pahalgam, the mercury dropped to minus 9.3 degrees Celsius from 6.6 degrees Celsius a night earlier.

Srinagar city recorded a low of minus 3.9 degrees Celsius, against minus 3 degrees Celsius the previous night. The night temperature in Qazigund was minus 4.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Kupwara (minus 3.2) and Kokernag (minus 3.4).

Chillai Kalan, the 40-day harshest period of winter in Kashmir, ended on January 30 but the cold wave conditions are expected to persist for the next few days.

Cold weather conditions persisted in Punjab and Haryana, with Bathinda reeling under severe chill at 2.1 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the two states.

Adampur in Punjab recorded a low of 3.5 degrees

Celsius.

Among other places in Punjab, Halwara recorded a minimum of 4.1 degrees Celsius while Amritsar (4.4 degrees Celsius), Faridkot (4.8 degrees Celsius), Ludhiana (7.6 degrees Celsius), Patiala (6.6 degrees Celsius), Pathankot (4.4 degrees Celsius) and Gurdaspur (4.5 degrees Celsius) also experienced a cold night.

Karnal was the coldest place in Haryana at 5 degrees Celsius followed by Narnaul, which registered a minimum of 5.2 degrees Celsius.

Hisar (6.2 degrees Celsius), Rohtak (5.8 degrees Celsius),

Bhiwani (5.8 degrees Celsius), Sirsa (7 degrees Celsius) and Ambala (7.8 degrees Celsius), also experienced a cold night.

Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a minimum of 7 degrees Celsius.

The weather remained dry and cold in Himachal Pradesh and the weather office forecast rain and snowfall in middle and high hills of the state on February 6 and 11.

Sub-zero temperatures were recorded in major tourist hotspots, including Manali, Kufri and Dalhousie.

The minimum and maximum temperatures were 2 to 3 degrees below the normal.

Keylong remained the coldest in the state at minus 10.9 degrees Celsius. Kalpa recorded a low of minus 8.5 degrees Celsius, followed by Manali at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, Kufri at minus 2.3 degrees Celsius and Dalhousie at minus 0.9 degrees Celsius, he said.

The minimum temperatures in Shimla and Dharamshala were 0.4 degrees Celsius and 2.6 degrees Celsius, Singh added.

Cold conditions showed signs of easing in Rajasthan, with the temperatures maintaining an upward trend.