Shimla, Manali and Srinagar in the hills are not the only places recording freezing temperatures and below normal minimums this winter but Lucknow in the plains has been observing equally cold weather. The minimum temperature in the city on Wednesday morning settled at 2.5°C, which is close to the minimum of 2.3°C recorded in Shimla.
The average monthly minimum of Lucknow in December is 8°C, but the minimums in the city have been decreasing steadily below 5°C for the last one week. On December 20 the minimum temperature in the city was 5°C, while the next day the morning minimum recorded 4.9°C. It rose marginally on December 22 to again settle at 5°C. On December 23 the minimum dropped almost 2 degrees to settle at 3.7°C. These temperatures clearly explain the chilling condition being faced by the people of Lucknow.
This is not all, persistent cold and dry northwesterlies are making matters worse. These winds have increased the chill factor in the city looking for some respite in terms of good sunshine. Fog has also become a common occurrence in the city.
The daytime temperatures are also settling below normal, aggravating the cold conditions. The maximum temperature recorded in Lucknow on Tuesday was 18°C, which is 5 degrees below the normal average. For the last few days the maximums in the city are settling close to 17°C on an average.
The condition is expected to prevail in Lucknow for at least another 48 hours.
