New Delhi: Sub-zero temperatures persisted in various parts of northern India on Thursday, with Kashmir experiencing freezing temperatures and Himachal Pradesh encountering significant snowfall and landslides leading to the closure of over 250 roads, news agency PTI reported. Meanwhile, Delhi enjoyed mild weather conditions, recording a maximum temperature of 20.2 degrees Celsius, slightly below the seasonal average. The minimum temperature in the national capital was 8.2 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
As per official data, January was the warmest in 43 years in several areas of Jammu and Kashmir, including Srinagar city.
Punjab and Haryana also had persistently low temperatures, with numerous locations maintaining below-average minimum temperatures. The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, saw a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday, down from minus 2 degrees Celsius the night before.
The Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir, which acts as the starting point for the yearly Amarnath yatra, reported a low of minus 11.9 degrees Celsius, while the Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir had a minimum temperature of minus 12 degrees Celsius.
According to officials, the towns of Kokernag and Qazigund in south Kashmir reported lows of minus 4.5 and minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, respectively.
At Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Qazigund, and Srinagar, the lowest temperatures were approximately five degrees below average for this time of year. The 40-day worst winter season, known as "Chilla-i-Kalan," ended earlier this week, but the chill lingering on in Kashmir, PTI reported.
Kusumseri in the Lahaul and Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh recorded a low of minus 14.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday despite the continued dry weather. In the morning, there was thick fog in Sundernagar, Mandi, and Bilaspur, which reduced visibility to 500 metres. In the mid-and higher hills, there was ground frost, which made traveling dangerous.
Restoration efforts are underway to reopen 254 roads, including five national highways that were shut down because of severe snowfall and landslides, as stated by officials.
As per the emergency operation centre, Lahaul and Spiti have 125 closed roads, Kullu has 41, Chamba has 37, Shimla has 26, and Mandi has 24 closed roads for traffic. Additionally, 80 transformers and 22 water supply schemes are disrupted in Himachal Pradesh. Chandigarh, the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius, which is two degrees below the normal level, as reported by the meteorological department.
In other parts of Punjab, Amritsar experienced a temperature of 4.1 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal, while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded temperatures of 6.9 and 6.2 degrees Celsius, respectively. Pathankot, Bathinda, Faridkot, and Gurdaspur also faced cold weather conditions, with temperatures at 3.9, 6.4, 6, and 4 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Ambala district of Haryana recorded a minimum temperature of 7.6 degrees Celsius, which is one degree below the normal temperature. It was 7.5 degrees Celsius at Hisar's minimum.
Data from the Meteorological Centre Srinagar shows that January was the warmest in 43 years in several areas of Jammu and Kashmir, including Srinagar city. According to reports, with just 3.0 mm of precipitation in January this year, Srinagar city saw the second driest January in the previous 40 years.
Based on the available data, the maximum temperature (TMP) in January was 11.9 degrees Celsius at the Srinagar station, whereas it was 5.7 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg, north Kashmir, and 16.9 degrees Celsius in Banihal, Ramban district.