Punjab and Haryana Grapple with Intense Winter Conditions
On Wednesday, Punjab and Haryana witnessed starkly different winter extremes. Day-time temperatures dropped more sharply across Punjab, while night-time temperatures in parts of Haryana fell to near-freezing levels.
Day-Time Temperatures Plunge in Punjab
In Punjab, Hoshiarpur recorded the lowest day temperature at 8.4°C. Ballowal in Nawanshahr and Pathankot followed closely at 8.5°C. Amritsar registered 8.8°C, and Patiala recorded 9.6°C. Chandigarh saw a maximum of 8.9°C, marking the sharpest departure from normal at 9.5°C below average.
Patiala experienced a maximum temperature 9.1°C below normal. Amritsar recorded a departure of 8.8°C from its usual readings.
Night-Time Chill Grips Haryana
Haryana faced severe night-time cold. Five towns recorded temperatures under 2°C:
- Hisar at 0.5°C
- Gurgaon at 0.8°C
- Narnaul at 1°C
- Bhiwani at 1.2°C
- Mahendragarh at 1.4°C
During the day, Ambala was the coldest in Haryana with a maximum of 9°C.
Temperature Readings Across Towns
Minimum temperatures in various towns included:
- Ambala: 4.9°C
- Amritsar: 4.3°C
- Anandpur Sahib: 5.4°C
- Bathinda: 3.2°C
- Faridabad: 4.3°C
- Karnal: 3.6°C
- Ludhiana: 5.4°C
- Panipat: 4.3°C
- Patiala: 4.4°C
- Rohtak: 3.6°C
Faridkot matched Bathinda with a minimum of 3.2°C. Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 3.8°C, with a departure from normal of 3.1°C.
Maximum temperatures in other towns showed:
- Anandpur Sahib: 12°C
- Bathinda: 13.5°C
- Bhiwani: 16°C
- Faridabad: 20.7°C
- Ferozepore: 12.8°C
- Gurgaon: 18.4°C
- Hisar: 13.2°C
- Karnal: 10.2°C
- Ludhiana: 10.8°C
- Narnaul: 15°C
- Panipat: 11.3°C
- Rohtak: 15.5°C
Dense Fog Reduces Visibility Significantly
Dense to very dense fog conditions prevailed across most parts of Punjab and many areas of Haryana. Isolated pockets in Himachal Pradesh also experienced dense fog.
Visibility dropped dramatically:
- Punjab: Zero visibility in Amritsar, less than 50 metres in Bathinda, Faridkot, and Ballowal, 70 metres in Patiala, and 100 metres in Gurdaspur.
- Haryana: Zero visibility in Ambala, 20 metres in Bhiwani and Hisar, 30 metres in Karnal.
- Chandigarh: 60 metres visibility.
IMD Forecasts Continued Cold and Fog
The India Meteorological Department predicts dense to very dense fog conditions in morning hours over isolated or some pockets of Haryana, Chandigarh, and Punjab until January 16. Dense fog may persist in isolated pockets until January 19.
Cold day conditions are likely in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh on January 15. Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very probable in some or many parts of Haryana and Chandigarh on January 15. Isolated pockets may experience cold wave conditions on January 16.
Cold wave conditions are also very likely in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on both January 15 and January 16.
