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Rajasthan town reels at -7 degrees Celsius, water frozen, covered with ice
Rajasthan's Mount Abu faces extreme winter with temperatures plunging to minus 7 degrees Celsius, causing frost and ice formation.
As a severe cold wave continues to grip northern and northwest India, Rajasthan’s only hill station, Mount Abu, witnessed extreme winter conditions on Saturday, with frost blanketing grasslands and thick layers of ice forming over ponds and small water bodies after temperatures plunged sharply over the past few days.
Contrary to the usual seasonal trend of easing winter conditions after Basant Panchami, Mount Abu has experienced intensifying cold. Following a sharp dip on Friday, Saturday morning turned out to be the coldest of the current winter, with the minimum temperature reportedly plunging to minus 7 degrees Celsius, the lowest reading of the season so far.
The severity of the cold was visible across the region as water surfaces froze completely overnight, creating ice sheets similar to those seen inside deep freezers. Frost-covered surroundings were reported from several pockets, while biting winds added to the discomfort through the day. Thick layers of frozen dew were observed on grasslands in rural areas such as Salgaon and the Chand Mari firing range, while nearby ponds remained sealed under solid ice.
Even after 9 am, residents were seen huddling around roadside bonfires for warmth, as weak sunlight offered little relief. The intense cold persisted well into the evening and night, making it one of the harshest winter phases in recent years.
Tourists visiting Mount Abu expressed surprise at the extreme chill following Basant Panchami. Many said the weather contrasted sharply with conditions in their home cities. Despite wearing heavy winter clothing, visitors were seen keeping their hands tucked into pockets, rubbing their palms together, and sipping hot tea and snacks to cope with the freezing temperatures.
Across Rajasthan, night temperatures plummeted again due to the impact of a western disturbance, with mercury in several places dropping to near-zero levels.
According to the local meteorological centre, northern winds are likely to cause a further drop of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures and 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in maximum temperatures over the next two to three days, even as overall weather conditions remain mainly dry.
On Saturday morning, Lunkaransar in Bikaner recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at 0.3 degrees Celsius, followed by Nagaur at 0.5 degrees, Fatehpur at 2.3 degrees, Pali at 2.9 degrees and Sikar at 3.2 degrees Celsius. Jaipur logged a minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius.
The cold wave followed rainfall in parts of the state on Friday, when Jaisalmer recorded the lowest temperature at 6.2 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the intense cold conditions are linked to widespread snowfall in the western Himalayan region triggered by a western disturbance.
Heavy snowfall was recorded across Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh, with fresh snow also reported from parts of Uttarakhand.
While northwest India has witnessed one of its driest winters on record, the IMD said the ongoing weather activity is expected to reduce the rainfall deficit.
Weather conditions are likely to improve from Saturday, though another western disturbance is expected to affect Rajasthan and northwest India between January 26 and 28, with its peak impact forecast on January 27. Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms is likely at isolated places in western and northern Rajasthan.
The IMD has forecast no significant change in minimum temperatures over northwest India for the next two days, followed by a gradual rise of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius thereafter.
