Freezing temperatures in J&K, Himachal as cold spreads through northern India

New Delhi, Dec 6: A cold wave swept through the northern states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana on Saturday, with a few places in hill states registering sub-zero temperatures. The night temperatures in Kashmir dropped several degrees below the freezing point with a thick layer of fog engulfing parts of the valley, while the Shimla Met Office predicted light rain and snow in isolated places in the mid and high hills of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Shopian was the coldest place as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, while a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius was recorded in Srinagar, officials said.
The gateway town to the valley, Qazigund, recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, while the mercury settled at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, and minus 0.2 degrees Celsius in south Kashmir’s Kokernag.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg lodged minus 2.6 degrees Celsius and Konibal town in Pulwama district recorded minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.
The meteorological department said the weather would remain generally cloudy but dry on Sunday, and a brief spell of light snowfall at isolated places in the higher reaches of north and central Kashmir is likely on Monday.
In Himachal Pradesh, a yellow alert for dense fog was issued in parts of the reservoir area of the Bhakra dam in Bilaspur district and over some parts of the Balh valley in Mandi district during early morning till Monday.
The Spiti district was coldest at night with a low of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius while Kangra was the hottest during the day recording a high of 26 degrees Celsius.
Even as temperatures remained low, officials noted on Saturday that there was no significant change in the minimum and maximum temperatures in the state.
A thick blanket of pollution hung over the Delhi on Saturday, while the minimum temperature settled at 6.8 degrees Celsius, 2.7 notches below normal.
The maximum temperature in Delhi was at 24.6 degrees Celsius, 0.7 notch below normal, the IMD said.
The national capital’s air quality stayed locked in the ‘very poor’ category, with an AQI of 330.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 as ‘good’, 51 to 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 to 200 ‘moderate’, 201 to 300 ‘poor’, 301 to 400 ‘very poor’ and 401 to 500 ‘severe’.
Evening relative humidity stood at 56 per cent, while morning humidity climbed to 95 per cent.
The weather department predicted shallow fog for Sunday morning. (PTI)