Double Whammy Of Cold Wave And Cold Day Over North India: No Change Likely
Key Takeaways
- Punjab and Haryana are facing both cold wave and cold day conditions together.
- Several cities have recorded season’s lowest minimum and maximum temperatures.
- Dense fog is reducing visibility to near zero in many areas.
- Rain is likely between 18th and 22nd January, which may change weather conditions.
Most parts of Punjab and Haryana have registered cold wave and cold day conditions together for the last few days. Cold day is on account of dense fog during the day and cold wave is attributable to icy winds down the slopes at night. Some locations have recorded the lowest of the season’s maximum temperatures while a few others have registered low single-digit minimum temperatures, amounting to cold wave conditions. Any quick and fast change is unlikely and the region will continue to reel under intense cold.
Irrespective of other conditions, cold wave in the plains is announced when the minimum temperature drops to 4°C or less. Most stations have figured with temperatures of less than 3°C. The most prominent being: Amritsar (4°), Ludhiana (2.6°), Patiala (3°), Bhatinda (1.6°) and Chandigarh (2.8°). Some of these stations, like Chandigarh, are the lowest of the season over the last two days. Yesterday, Bhatinda recorded a minimum of 0.6°C, missing the freezing mark by a whisker. Parts of Haryana, despite fewer observations, also got listed with very low temperatures. Ambala, Hisar and Karnal registered minimum temperatures of 4°C, 1.5°C and 2°C, respectively.
Cold day conditions are declared when the minimum temperature is less than 10°C and the maximum temperature is at least 4.4°C below normal. Ludhiana, Patiala, Ferozepur, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ambala and Karnal all recorded day temperatures in the low teens and between 4°–6°C below normal. Patiala, Ludhiana and Ambala plunged 6°C below the pentad normal.
Very dense fog occurred in many pockets, reducing visibility. Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bhatinda, Chandigarh and Ambala had zero horizontal visibility for a couple of hours. Very low night temperatures and an envelope of thick fog restricted sunshine and resulted in cold day conditions. There is no active western disturbance likely over the region for the next three days. A twist in weather conditions can be expected not earlier than 16th Jan 2025. Plains of Punjab and Haryana may witness typical winter rains between 18th and 22nd Jan 2025.
