E-Paper
Chandigarh colder than Shimla, Dharamshala on season’s coldest night
At 6.6°C, the minimum temperature of Chandigarh was 0.2 degree below normal, while Shimla and Dharamshala recorded a low of 8.2°C
The city on Friday registered the coldest night of the season so far, with the minimum temperature plunging to 6.6°C, which was lower than the hill stations of Shimla and Dharamshala.
At 6.6°C, the minimum temperature of the city was 0.2 degree below normal, while Shimla and Dharamshala recorded a low of 8.2°C. India Meteorological Department director Manmohan Singh said, “With clear skies at night and the cold north-westerly winds blowing through the region, the night temperature in the city has started dropping and is likely to reduce further towards the month-end.”
On why the temperature in the hills is at times higher than the plains, Singh, who was earlier posted in Shimla , said, “A temperature inversion is observed at a height. Usually, the higher we go, the colder it gets, but there is a belt where temperature increases with height and Shimla lies in this belt. Thus, at the peak of winters, the temperature in Chandigarh is often lower than hill stations. It is, however, still warmer than the higher hills and hill stations below Shimla such as Solan.”
Singh said that in the absence of western disturbances it is unlikely to rain in the city in the coming days. “The monthly forecast of December using probability models predicts that the average temperature in the region will stay higher than normal in the absence of western disturbances (WD) this month.”
Expect early morning fog
With the temperature dropping, fog has started enveloping the city early in the morning and late at night. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the visibility on Saturday was below 2,000 metres and more foggy mornings can be expected in the coming days.
The maximum temperature also dropped from 22.8°C on Friday to 22.4°C on Saturday, which is 1.3 degree above normal. Over the next three days, the maximum temperature will remain between 22°C and 23°C and minimum temperature will remain between 6°C and 7°C.
