Weather LIVE Updates: North India Shivers; Below Freezing Point in Parts of Kashmir, Dal Lake Partially Frozen 

It is Christmas and the weather in North India, too, is leaving no stone unturned in giving all the feels with cold wave conditions in several areas and blanket of fog adding to the biting cold weather. On Saturday, Delhi’s Safdarjung Observatory, national capital’s primary weather station, recorded the minimum temperature at 5.4 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal,

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the mercury dropped to 4 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal, at the Ridge weather station, making it the coldest place in the capital.

In Mumbai, meanwhile, people woke up to the coldest day of the season on Saturday as the minimum temperature dropped to 16 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal. The weather department has predicted further drop in mercury over the weekend.

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-Cold Conditions Intensify Across Kashmir, Below Freezing Point Temp in Many Places, Interiors of Dal Lake Frozen

Cold conditions intensified in Kashmir as the minimum temperature dipped several degrees below the freezing point and many places experienced the season’s coldest night, officials said Sunday. The valley experienced a dry but colder Christmas this year, the MeT office said, adding that there, however, is a possibility of a wet spell next week.

The minimum temperature on Saturday night went several degrees below the freezing point and was below normal across the valley except in Gulmarg, the officials said.

The intense cold conditions led to freezing of water supply lines in many areas as well as the freezing of the interiors of the Dal Lake, they said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius — down from minus 5.4 degrees Celsius Thursday night, the officials said. The city experienced its coldest night so far this season, they added.

The officials said Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 7 degrees Celsius, down from minus 6.4 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature at the resort was the lowest so far this season. The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius.

-Dense Fog Conditions in Continue in Punjab’s Amritsar

As per IMD, Amristar is to witness a minimum temperature of 4°C and a maximum temperature of 17°C with generally cloudy sky, today.

-Cold Wave Conditions in Parts of North India

IMD said cold wave conditions were observed in isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and northwest Rajasthan.

In the plains, the IMD declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius. A cold wave is also expected when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches below normal.

A “severe” cold wave is when the minimum temperature dips to two degrees Celsius or the departure from normal is more than 6.4 degrees Celsius.

When the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius below the normal, it is said to be a ‘cold day’.

-Mumbai Records Season’s Coldest Day

After a few hot days in December, the people of Mumbai woke up to the coldest day of the season on Saturday, December 24, as the minimum temperature dropped to 16 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal. This was the coldest so far in December.

According to the weather department, the mercury is expected to dip further over the weekend. Last year, on December 29, Mumbai reportedly recorded the minimum temperature at 17.4 degrees Celsius.

Just two weeks before, Mumbai recorded the highest temperature on December 13 when the mercury touched 35 degrees Celsius.

-Low Visibility in Delhi due to Fog

Delhi and parts of NCR have been witnessing fog for the past few days. On Sunday, too, a layer of fog over the national capital kept the visibility low.

-Not a White Christmas in Himachal, Says IMD

In a disappointment for tourists who visit the state every year during this time to witness snowfall, IMD has predicted that there will be no snowfall during Christmas in the tourist destinations of Himachal Pradesh. The state weather centre at Shimla has forecasted snowfall in higher reaches of the Kullu, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts of the state after a fresh western disturbance (WD) is expected on December 26.

“During the past 24 hours, there were cold wave conditions in the districts of Una, Bilaspur and Hamirpur. There is a fresh Western disturbance on December 26, and there will be rain and snowfall in higher reaches of the state. On 28th and 29th, another western disturbance is approaching and it will impact the districts of Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts of the state. There is no scope for snowfall during Christmas in tourist destinations of the state. The night temperatures have dropped and in days to come it may increase,” Bui Lal, Sr Scientist IMD HP said.

18 Dead, Hundreds of Thousands Without Power as Monster Storm Brings Snow and Cold Across US

A frigid winter storm killed at least 18 people as it swept across the country, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses and leaving millions of people on edge about the possibility of Christmas Eve blackouts.

The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, New York, with hurricane-force winds causing whiteout conditions. Emergency response efforts were paralyzed, and the city’s international airport was shut down.

Across the US, officials have attributed deaths to exposure, car crashes, a falling tree limb and other effects of the storm. At least three people died in the Buffalo area, including two who suffered medical emergencies in their homes and couldn’t be saved because emergency crews were unable to reach them amid historic blizzard conditions.

Deep snow, single-digit temperatures and day-old power outages sent Buffalo residents scrambling Saturday to get out of their houses to anywhere that had heat. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the Buffalo Niagara International Airport would be closed through Monday morning and almost every fire truck in the city was stranded in the snow.

(With agency inputs)

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