A severe cold wave tightened its grip over northern parts of India on Sunday, with the Amarnath Yatra base camp in Jammu and Kashmir recording a bone-chilling minimum temperature of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest spot in the region. Large swathes of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan also shivered, with mercury levels dipping to between three and seven degrees Celsius.
IMD Issues Cold Wave Alert for Central and Eastern States
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that cold wave conditions are "very likely" to prevail in isolated pockets over Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha on Monday and Tuesday. This indicates a spread of the winter chill beyond its typical northern confines.
In the national capital, the minimum temperature was recorded at eight degrees Celsius, a slight increase from 6.8 degrees the previous day but still 1.6 degrees below the seasonal normal. The maximum temperature settled at 24.7 degrees Celsius. The weather office has predicted mist and a temperature range of 10 to 25 degrees Celsius for Monday.
Adding to Delhi's woes, the city's air quality continued to languish in the "very poor" category, with a 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 308. This extends a prolonged spell of toxic air that residents have endured for several weeks.
State-by-State Breakdown of the Chill
Jammu & Kashmir: While night temperatures in Kashmir rose slightly, they remained below freezing. The summer capital, Srinagar, recorded a low of minus 0.9°C. Qazigund registered minus 1°C, Kupwara minus 0.8°C, and Kokernag 1.1°C. The IMD has predicted generally cloudy but dry weather, with a chance of light snowfall in higher reaches on December 8.
Punjab & Haryana: Faridkot was Punjab's coldest at 4.4°C, followed by Bathinda and Gurdaspur at 4.6°C. In Haryana, Narnaul recorded the lowest at 4.6°C. Chandigarh, the shared capital, saw a minimum of 8.2°C.
Rajasthan: The state reeled under intense cold, with Fatehpur in Sikar district recording the lowest minimum at 3.5°C. Other cold spots included Lunkaransar (5°C) and Churu (6.3°C). The Met Centre indicated a weak western disturbance might bring partly cloudy skies and a slight temperature rise.
Himachal Pradesh: The IMD predicted dense fog in parts of the state until Wednesday, issuing a yellow alert for areas around the Bhakra dam and Balh valley.
Cold Conditions Extend to Jharkhand and West Bengal
The cold wave also impacted eastern India. In Jharkhand, eight districts recorded temperatures below 10°C, with Gumla being the coldest at 3.5°C. Ranchi recorded 7.5°C. Officials attributed the drop to north-westerly winds and predicted dry weather for the next five days.
In West Bengal, the plains witnessed the season's first sub-10-degree temperature, with Sriniketan in Birbhum recording 9.8°C. Darjeeling in the hills was colder at 6.2°C, while Kolkata's minimum was 15.2°C. The IMD forecast dry weather across the state with fog likely in northern districts.
Looking ahead, the IMD has predicted dense fog in isolated pockets of northeastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland between December 8 and 12. For western India, a gradual fall of 2-3 degrees Celsius is expected over the next few days.
