himachal-sees-record-cold-warnings-for-lower-hills

The lower hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh are gripped with cold wave conditions. The local MeT office warned of intense cold at isolated places in Una, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur districts for the next five days. 

 

Tabo in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti was coldest at night, recording a low of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Shimla remained warmest for the second consecutive night recording a minimum temperature at 10.9 degrees Celsius, 5.2 degrees Celsius above normal, according to the local Met office.

 

As cold wave conditions continued to grip the lower hills, the MeT office on Monday issued an “orange” warning of severe cold at isolated places in the lower hills and plain areas of Una, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur.

 

Kangra district will reel under intense cold till Friday besides dry weather in the state over the next seven days, the department said.

 

Shimla, the ‘Queen of hills’, recorded a high of 21 degrees Celsius, marking the second highest temperature for December since 2017 when the maximum temperature was 21.3 degrees Celsius.

 

Kufri and Narkanda recorded minimum temperatures at 10.5 degrees Celsius and 8.3 degrees Celsius, respectively. Una recorded a low of minus 0.7 degrees Celsius while Hamipur recorded 0.7 degrees Celsius.

 

The MeT officer has advised to keep livestock indoors with adequate warming arrangements due to low temperature and make necessary arrangements to protect crops from cold and frost.

 

Meanwhile, the Una district administration has issued an advisory given the dense fog and cold waves and asked the residents to take safety precautions to avoid accidents.

 

There was no significant change in maximum temperature and Dharamshasla with 24.6 degrees Celsius was the hottest during the day.

 

Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded its second-highest maximum temperature at 18.9 degrees Celsius for December since 1991 when it was 19 degrees Celsius.

 

Meanwhile, the post-monsoon rain deficit from October 1 to December 16 was 96 per cent, as the state received 2.3 mm of rain against a normal rainfall of 60.5 mm.

 

The rain deficit was 100 per cent in Chamba, 99 per cent in Sirmaur, Bilaspur and Kullu, 97 per cent in Kangra and Solan, 96 per cent in Shimla, 94 per cent in Lahaul and Spiti, 93 per cent in Kinnaur and Hamirpur, 92 per cent in Mandi, and 78 per cent in Una district.