Himachal Pradesh saw a bright and sunny day after three days of snow and rain

The cold wave in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir continued as Himachal Pradesh saw the sun for the first time in days after widespread snowfall.

While the first showers of 2019 in Delhi on Sunday helped reduce pollution for a short while, it did not help with the cold. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.1 degrees Celsius and the weatherman predicted clear skies. However, heavy fog disrupted many flights and trains in the morning owing to low visibility. The maximum temperature is to hover around 19 degrees Celsius.

Uttar Pradesh was gripped by the cold wave today which forced schools to remain closed in Lucknow and some other places. The state also witnessed rain which added to the winter chill. The cold wave is to continue for the next few days. The state also saw delay and cancellation of trains mainly due to fog. The minimum temperature in the state was 5.4 degrees. The Met Office has said the sudden chill is due to a western disturbance over the Himalayas. The Regional Met Office has predicted scanty rains with thundershowers at some places in the state.

Jammu and Kashmir has been in a tight grip of the cold wave with temperatures dropping several notches below the freezing point. At minus 24.8 degrees Celsius, Drass town was the coldest in Jammu and Kashmir where even the maximum temperature remained below the freezing point at minus 9.8. Water bodies in the valley remained frozen as did the water supply tapes in Srinagar and other places. Most other cities and towns recorded temperatures below freezing point.

Only Himachal Pradesh saw a bright and sunny day after three days of snow and rain. The minimum temperature was minus 0.7 degrees Celsius in Shimla, which saw 5 cm of snow. Some other neighbouring cities experienced moderate snowfall in the past 24 hours. Keylong, district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, was the coldest in the state at a minimum of minus 12 degrees Celsius. The towns in lower hills of the state witnessed rainfall that pushed the mercury even further down.



(with inputs from agencies)