The winter chill has returned back, across the plains of North India. Most parts of Punjab and Haryana have slipped to single-digit minimum temperatures. Mercury has slumped to an even low single digit of less than 5°C at few places. Parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh too, have registered cool temperatures, well below the average. Border posts of Rajasthan like, Barmer, Jaisalmer and Hanumangarh have recorded mercury lowering by 5-8°C, below the normal. Border areas of Punjab have gone to a low single digit, about 6°C below the average.
The heaviest snowfall of this season in the hills of North India has crippled the connectivity over large areas. Cold winds in the wake of the snow mounds have brought the winter sting back, just short of cold wave conditions, over the plains of North India. Little mercy, that a western disturbance is moving across the mountains, restricting the bone-chilling effect from the mountains to the plains. Still, such low temperatures in the month of March, are not frequented over the region.
Most places in the region have measured record-low temperatures in March, spread across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Bhatinda and Firozpur in Punjab plunged to 4.4°C, about 6°C below the normal and mostly seen in the peak winter month of January. Chandigarh city nose dived to register a low of 7.6°C, about 5°C, below the normal. Karnal in Haryana dipped to 5.5°C, a massive 5°C below the average. Other places like Hisar, Ambala, Sirsa, Rohtak and Gurugram also had the lowest mercury of the recent past, in the month of March. Alwar and Pali in Rajasthan recorded astonishing lows of 6.5°C and 6.0°C, a huge 8°C below the average. Baghpat, Bijnor, Aligarh and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh also reeled under cold conditions, with temperatures hovering around 7°C.
Winter chill caught the localities, off guard, least expecting such cold conditions in the month of March. Clear sky conditions during the night led to a sharp drop in the mercury. A western disturbance has been persisting over the mountains, since yesterday. It is likely to stay put for two more days and a short break, thereafter. Some clouds are likely to drift in, over parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, anytime soon. There may not be any rain as such, but an incremental rise of temperature is expected over the next few days. Conditions may ease out by the weekend. However, the winter rains are likely to return, yet again, over the region, in the next week.
Image Credit: livemint.com
