With fresh snowfall in hill States on Saturday, entire north India is in the grip of cold wave. According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy rain or snow and hailstorm are likely to occur at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during next 24 hours with this isolated to scattered rainfall is also likely over parts of northwest India during next 48 hours. Chances are that it is to intensify cold wave in north India.

Due to cloudy weather and prevailing surface winds, cold day is also likely at isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and northwest Uttar Pradesh during next 24 hours.

With minimum temperature hovering between five degrees Celsius and eight degrees Celsius, the humidity level in Delhi was 100 per cent.

According to Regional Weather Forecast Wing (Delhi), Delhi-NCR may witness light shower or cloudy weather on January 7 and January 8.

Importantly, Delhiites will witness dense foggy morning from January 9. Forecasting the cloudy or rain like weather, IMD mentioned that the sudden change of weather is a result of western disturbances approaching the northern States from Iran and adjoining parts of Afghanistan.

Amiably, there is good news for people missing chilly weather in Delhi winter year as they can plan weekend outing in nearby hilly region as fresh rain and snow with heavy falls at isolated places of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand was received on Saturday evening.

Popular tourist destination and the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag and Badrinath in Chamoli district, besides the skiing slopes of Auli, received fresh spells of snow in the morning and afternoon, according to IMD.

Nandadevi and Valley of Flowers National Park, a World Heritage Site, and Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary also received snowfall. Dehradun also witnessed a cold day with an overcast sky and recorded a minimum temperature of 6.6 degree Celsius. In Mukteshwar, New Tehri and Pantnagar the mercury settled at 3.1 degree Celsius, 5.2 degrees Celsius and 5.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

Although, the weather department has also warned of heavy snowfall and rain at isolated places in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts over the next 36 hours.

Hailstorm is also likely to hit isolated places in Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar, Nainital and Champawat districts during the period, IMD official said.

Prevailing cold conditions which are expected to continue for another four - five days, the education department in Uttar Pradesh has ordered change in school timings in Ghaziabad district.

Citing the IMD forecast, the education department said that the Government schools classes from first to eighth will open at 10 am now, instead of 9 am in the wake of lowered temperatures. The officials of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) have predicted that the cold conditions will prevail for another four-five days. Rainfall has also been predicted in western Uttar Pradesh on January 6. Officials of the IMD have also predicted moderate to dense fog in the coming days and worsening of air quality from January 8.

According to IMD, dense to very dense fog was observed at isolated places over West Uttar Pradesh; dense fog was observed at isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh on Saturday. Visibility in Bareilly, Shahjhanpur, Ludhiana, Patiala-50, Delhi and Aligarh was recorded between 25 M to 200 M.

In Himachal Pradesh, several high altitude regions in Kullu, Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts receiving fresh snowfall and rain, the meteorological department said.

Kothi, Gondola and Manali in Kullu district received 2.5 feet, 10.5 cm and 5 cm snow respectively and Dalhousie in Chamba district received 2 cm snow, the Shimla MeT centre director Manmohan Singh said. 

The tribal district Lahaul and Spiti’s administrative centre Keylong got 20 cm snow, whereas Kinnaur’s Pooh and Kalpa received 8 cm and 5 cm snow respectively Saturday, he said. Despite overcast sky no fresh snowfall occurred in Shimla on Saturday, he added.

In the meantime, Dharamshala got 6 mm rain, Bhuntar and Amb received 2 mm rain each, whereas Kangra, Chamba and Sujanpur Tira got 1 mm rain each, he added.

Meanwhile, Keylong continued to be the coldest place in the State at -7 degree Celsius, the MeT official said. The minimum temperature in Kalpa was -2 degree Celsius, while it was -1.1 degree in Dalhousie and -0.8 degrees Celsius in Kufri from 5.30 pm Friday to 8.30 am Saturday, IMD said.

It may be recalled that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had sounded an ‘orange warning’ of heavy snowfall, rain and hailstorm in most parts of the State from January 4 to 6.

Acting on the weather advisory, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) had already made preparations to deal with any eventuality. The State and district control rooms are in a state of readiness to deal with any eventuality, a State official had said, adding that tourists and the general public have been advised to avoid the higher reaches in the coming days.

Issuing instructions not to venture to high reaches, district administrations of Chamba, Kinnaur and Kangra urged the public to contact at emergency number 1077 in case of emergency.

Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner Gopal Chand advised the residents not to come outside their homes without any urgent work to avoid any untoward incident

With fresh snowfall, the temperature in Indo-gigantic region was recorded below normal (-1.6°C to -3.0°C) at a few places over Himachal Pradesh; at isolated places over Punjab and east Rajasthan and near normal over rest parts of the country.