One of the coldest winter conditions in years is being witnessed in India. North, east and central India are reeling under below normal temperatures. Northwestern plains in Haryana have registered below 0°C minimum temperatures during the last two days.
Hissar in Haryana registered -1.1°C and -0.8°C of minimum temperatures on January 6 and 7 respectively of which the later one is the lowest night temperature or the coldest night in a decade (2003-2013). These temperatures are below normal by 4 to 5°C. The all time lowest minimum temperature in Hissar is -3.9°C recorded on January 31, 1929. Skymet weather predicts similar night temperatures for the next two days in Hissar.
The capital, New Delhi has recorded lowest of minimum temperature since 2008. The Safdarjang weather observatory has recorded 1.9°C as minimum temperature on January 6. It also equals the lowest minimum temperatures of 1.9°C recorded on January 2 in 2008.
But the other weather observatory at Palam in Delhi recorded a night temperature of 1°C today, January 7. This is the lowest minimum temperature ever recorded at Palam observatory. The lowest minimum temperature of all time in Delhi is -0.6°C recorded at Safdarjang Observatory on January 16, 1935.
Below normal minimum temperatures between 0 to 3°C are also being recorded at other areas in northern India. In Punjab, Ludhiana and Amritsar recorded 2.7°C, which is 3°C below normal and 1.8°C being 1°C below normal temperatures respectively on January 7.
In Uttar Pradesh, Bareilly registered 2.5°C as night temperature, 5°C below normal and Lucknow recorded 4.4°C, 3°C less than the normal. Patna in Bihar recorded a minimum of 6.1°C, 5°C below normal on January 7. However, the lowest minimum temperature of the day on January 7, -2.7°C was recorded in Churu, Rajasthan.
Weather forecast for next two days
There is no obstruction to the northerly and northwesterly winds coming from the Himalayas as well as the Hindukush region adjacent to the north of Afghanistan and Pakistan during the next two days, so similar conditions of winter in India would prevail during the next 48 hours.
Temperatures, especially the minimum temperatures could go down further in northwestern plains. Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan will have a minimum in the range of 0 to 3°C during the next 48 hours. Below 0°C temperatures will continue to be witnessed at one or two places in Haryana and Rajasthan.
Eastern parts of the country will continue to witness the same trend of below normal minimum temperatures in the range of 3 to 5°C in the next two days. These parts, especially central Uttar Pradesh will have dense to very dense fog conditions. East Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will have shallow to moderate fog.
Rain is expected in the extreme southern part of the country. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep will receive rain at one or two places as a trough of low pressure area near southwest Bay of Bengal persists.
A Western Disturbance is expected over Jammu & Kashmir by January 9 that might raise the minimum temperatures. But during the next 48 hours, the coldest of winter conditions in recent years will continue to take a toll on day-to-day life in northern areas. About 150 people have been reported killed in Uttar Pradesh during the last few days due to the cold wave conditions. Similar conditions are expected to continue during the next 48 hours, so be prepared to counter the worst of winter in India in the last decade.
Photograph by bling_rocks
