Cold wave to intensify, frost to damage crops

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 16

Cold wave conditions are likely to aggravate with dense fog engulfing six out of 12 districts districts of the state, reducing visibility to just 500 metres tomorrow. Thick ground frost could damage crops, said the local MeT office.

Dense fog would engulf Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Solan and Sirmaur districts, aggravating the cold wave. The visibility in these districts would reduce to 500 metres, disrupting vehicular traffic while ground frost would damage rabi crops, it warned.

Biting cold wave conditions were created in the state with minimum temperatures hovering around freezing point and staying three to six degree below normal. The minimum temperatures were below 3 degree at most places while it dipped below the freezing point at other places.

Keylong and Kalpa in Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts recorded a low of minus 5.6 degree and minus 4.1 degree, while Manali and Dalhousie shivered at minus 1.0 degree, Solan minus 0.8 degree, Sundernagar 0.6 degree, Bhuntar 0.7 degree, Palampur 1.0 degree, Dharamsala 1.2 degree, Una and Kufri 2 degree, Chamba 2.2 degree and Shimla 2.6 degree.

Keylong was the coldest during the day with a high of 3.9 degree, while Dalhousie recorded a day temperature of 4 degree, 11 degrees below normal, followed by Kufri 5 degree, Kalpa 7.9 degree, Dharamsala 10.2 degree, Manali 10.4 degree, Shimla 10.4 degree and Sundernagar 15.5 degree. The local MeT office has predicted dry weather in the state over the next six days up to December 22 with no respite from cold wave conditions.