Severe cold wave conditions are prevailing in parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Milder cold wave conditions are prevailing in parts of west Rajasthan and east UP. This situation is likely to abate in the coming days. They have already abated in Punjab and plains of west UP. Winter has set in in all corners of the country, but day temperatures in Shimla and Guwahati remained 3 degrees above normal despite atmospheric humidity levels being 25 lower than normal in Shmla and near normal in Guwahati.

TEMPERATURES: During the previous week night temperatures were below normal in Punjab and in the remaining parts of east UP and normal in rest of the region of north India. The lowest temperature in the plains was 2.1 degree centigrade recorded at Amritsar inPunjab.

Maximum early morning temperatures were below normal by 8 degrees in Hissar. They were normal and near normal in Candigarh, Delhi, Jammu, Amritsar, Patiala, Dehradun, Agartala, Ahmedabad, Babgalore, Bhopal, Chennai, Huderabad, Nagpur, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram and Shillong. The maximum early morning temperatures were 2 to 3 degrees above normal in Shimla, Srinagar, Jaipur, Udapur, Guwahati, Mumbai, and Imphal. They were 2 to 3 degrees below normal in Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Calcutta and Patna.Minimum early morning temperatures were below normal by 5 degrees in Srinagar but were normal and near normal in Delhi, Jammu, Jaipur, Dehradun, Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Calcutta, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram. The minimum early morning temperatures were 2 to 3 degrees below normal in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Udaipur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanas, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Patna and Pune. They were 2 to 3 degrees above normal in Hissar, Shimla, Guwahati, Imphal andShillong.FOG SITUATION: Thick layers of fog continued their presence over the sky in Chandigarh, Hissar, Delhi, Amritsar, Patiala, Allahabad and Bangalore.

Milder layers of fog were seen in Lucknow, Varanasi and Pune. Layers of mist were seen in Jammu, Lucknow and Bhubaneswar. Layers of haze was seen in Bhopal, Calcutta, Guwahati, Mumbai, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram.RAINS: There was rainfall in Thiruvananthapuram on January 1. Rainfall recorded in the city was 0.1 to 0.4 millimetre.

ATMOSPHERIC HUMIDITY: Early morning atmospheric humidity levels were above normal by 30 per cent in Jaipur and Pune followed by 26 higher than normal in Hissar and Delhi, 24 per cent higher in Chandigarh and 20 per cent higher in Bhubaneswar. In Srinagar, Patiala, Allahabad, Varanasi, Denradun, Agartala, Bangalore, Calcutta, Mumba, Patna and Thiruvananthapuram humidity levels ranged between 7 to 18 per cent above normal. The atmospheric humidity were near normal in Jammu, Amritsar, Udaipur, Bhopal, Chennai, Guwahati, Nagpur,Imphal and Shillong. However, atmospheric humidity levels were lower than normal by 25 per cent in Shimla, followed by 9 per cent below normal in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad and 6 per cent below normal in Lucknow.

WATER RESERVOIR SITUATION: The total lve storage in 63 important reservoirs in different parts of the country monitored by Central Water Commission (CWC) for week ending December 18 was 97.80 TM Cum or 79 per cent of full reservoir value (FRL) as against 91.44 TM Cum or 73 per cent FRL during the corresponding date of the previous year and 85.47 TM Cum or 69 per cent FRL, the average of the last 10 years.

The current year's storage is nearly 79 per cent of the designed utilisable storage, 107 per cent of the last year's storage and 114 per cent of average of the last 10 years. There are 35 projects having storage more than 80 per cent, 14 projects between 50 and 80 per cent and 9 projects having storage between 30 to 50 per cent. The remaining 5 projects are having storage up to 30 per centonly.

The current water reserve is sufficient to irrigate 10178 hectare of culturable command area (CCA) and generate 7535 MW hydel power.ADVICE TO FARMERS: WHEAT: The Agromet unit of IMD has advised the farmers of north India to apply first irrigation to wheat crops sown 25 days earlier. For control of weeds, one thing should be done after first irrigation with wheel hoe or blade hoe. Farmers are advised to use recommended herbicides wherever manual removal of weeds is not possible. Second dose of nitrogen at the rate of 60 kg per hectare should be applied on wheat fields after first irrigation.

GRAM: Farmers of north India are advised to irrigate the timely sown crop after 45 days of sowing. As incidence of pod borer is observed over crops in UP, Punjab and Rajasthan, Monocrotophos 36 SL or Endosuephan 35 EC should be mixed in 100 litres of water and sprayed over crops covering an acre.RABI OILSEEDS: Farmers of north India are advised to spray 300 ml Dimethoat 30 EC or 60-90 ml Dimecron 85 SL mixed with300 litre of water over crops covering one acre in order to control mustard aphids. For control of alternaria blight and white rust over crop, farmers are advised to spray Mancoceb, Fudofil M-45 or Manceb at the rate of 800 gm per acre.

POTATO: For control of grasshopper and jassids in UP, the farmers are advised to use the recommended insecticides.