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Chandigarh: The City Beautiful Chandigarh reeled under an intense cold wave on Tuesday as the minimum temperature plunged to 2.8 degrees Celsius, the lowest recorded in the city in the past nine years, sending life across the region into a near standstill during the early morning hours.
The sharp dip in mercury brought fog-laden mornings and biting northerly winds, intensifying winter woes for residents of Chandigarh. Streets and markets wore a deserted look at dawn as people preferred to stay indoors, braving the cold only when absolutely necessary.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the prevailing cold wave conditions are a result of clear skies combined with persistent northerly winds, a pattern that is likely to keep night temperatures low over the next few days. The weather office warned that cold wave conditions could persist, particularly during night and early morning hours.
Chandigarh had last recorded such severe cold on January 11, 2017, when the temperature dipped to 2.4°C, and even lower readings of 2.1°C were recorded on January 24, 2016.
The cold spell has had a visible social impact as well. Night shelters across the city reported a surge in footfall, with homeless persons seeking refuge from the freezing conditions. Authorities have urged citizens, especially the elderly, children and those with respiratory ailments, to take adequate precautions against prolonged cold exposure.
The chill extended across Punjab and Haryana, with several districts recording near-freezing or sub-2°C temperatures. In Punjab, Ballowal Saunkhri recorded a bone-chilling 0°C, while Bathinda logged 1.6°C. Ludhiana, Patiala and Amritsar recorded minimum temperatures of 2.6°C, 3°C and 4.1°C respectively. Faridkot and Hoshiarpur were also gripped by severe cold, recording lows of 2°C and 2.6°C.
Haryana, too, shuddered under the cold wave. Hisar and Narnaul recorded minimum temperatures of 1.5°C and 1.8°C respectively. Gurugram, which had touched a season’s low of 0.6°C a day earlier, saw a marginal rise to 3.3°C on Tuesday. Karnal recorded 2°C, Rohtak 3.8°C, Ambala 4.2°C and Faridabad 4.3°C.
Weather officials said that while daytime temperatures may see some relief due to sunshine, nights will continue to remain harshly cold. Dense to very dense fog is also likely at isolated places, potentially affecting road and rail traffic across the region. With no immediate western disturbance in sight, the IMD has advised residents across North India to brace for a prolonged spell of intense winter conditions.
