The Shimla meteorological station issued a yellow warning on Wednesday for a cold wave, ground frost, and dense fog in five districts of Himachal Pradesh, including Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, and Mandi. The warning is expected to continue into Thursday, with dense fog anticipated for Friday.
Una district shivered under severe cold on Tuesday night, with mercury dropping to a near-freezing 1.2°C. In the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district, Tabo recorded the coldest temperature, plummeting to a frigid -13.6°C. Apart from these districts, there were reports of cold wave conditions in Hamirpur, Mandi, and Kangra. In Bilaspur and Mandi dense fog was seen while shallow fog was noted in Kangra.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that a fresh Western disturbance will affect Northwest India from January 11, bringing rain and snow to some areas on Saturday and Sunday. However, the weather is expected to remain mostly dry until Friday, with only isolated snowfall in the tribal regions of Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur.
The officials have also issued a warning of snowfall in the mid and high hills on the weekend. The IMD has advised people in affected districts to wear lightweight warm clothing, to drink plenty of fluids, ensure proper ventilation while using heating appliances, and to protect livestock and crops from the cold. In addition, they have recommended winter packing for bee colonies.
Himachal Pradesh has experienced a 87 percent deficit in rainfall between January 1 and 8, as the state received only 2 mm of rainfall against the normal 15 mm. This has been on top of the already experienced 18 percent monsoon deficit and a 40 percent deficit during the post-monsoon season.
With inputs from PTI.