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Hoshiarpur records low of 1.1°C as Punjab registers season’s coldest morning
Punjab experienced its coldest morning this season, with Hoshiarpur at 1.1°C. Dense fog and cold wave conditions are expected to persist, impacting health.
Punjab recorded its coldest morning of the season on Saturday as the cold wave tightened its grip on the region, sending temperatures plummeting toward freezing point.
Hoshiarpur was the coldest city in the state at 1.1°C, followed closely by Amritsar at 1.3°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Chandigarh recorded a low of 4°C, while Delhi’s Safdarjung observatory hit a season-low of 4.2°C.
Dense to very dense fog engulfed Punjab, Haryana, northwest Rajasthan, and Delhi, impacting early-morning visibility. While the IMD expects conditions to improve as the day progresses. The persistent fog cover is blocking solar radiation, preventing daytime temperatures from rising.
Meteorologists warn that several districts will face “cold day” conditions over the weekend, with maximum temperatures likely to stay below 10°C. In some areas, a “cold blast” may keep daytime highs in the single digits. A cold day is declared when the maximum temperature remains 4.5°C to 6.4°C below normal and the minimum is below 10°C. A cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature drops 4.5°C to 6.4°C below normal.
“As compared to yesterday, there is a further fall of 0.7°C in the state’s average maximum temperature over the past 24 hours. It is appreciably below normal by 3.4 degrees Celsius in the state,” reads the IMD’s daily bulletin.
Bathinda recorded the lowest maximum temperature in the state at 7.5 degrees Celsius, while Amritsar reported a maximum temperature of 8.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
IMD has warned that cold wave conditions are likely to persist in various districts, including Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar, Bhatinda, and Mansa, while cold day conditions have been predicted over Amritsar, Kapurthala, and Jalandhar.
The IMD expects these conditions to persist for the next few days across most districts of Punjab. “There is no immediate relief in sight, and residents should remain alert and follow advisories until weather conditions improve,” it said in a bulletin.
Health experts have cautioned that prolonged exposure to cold wave conditions can increase the risk of seasonal illnesses, such as flu, cold, cough and nosebleeds, while aggravating respiratory ailments. The elderly and children were advised to stay indoors during early morning and late-night hours, wear layered warm clothing, consume warm fluids and avoid unnecessary exposure to the cold.
