Lucknow shivers at 2.2 degrees as cold wave intensifies

New Delhi: The north was shivering in the grip of the cold wave which has now intensified over the region as Delhi on Friday recorded its lowest temperature of the season so far while Lucknow saw the mercury settle at a chilly 2.2 degrees Celsius.

Rain and thundershowers were tipped to hit the region over the coming few days, which is expected to add to the winter woes of the people.

The minimum temperature in the national capital on Friday was recorded three notches below normal at 5.1 degrees, which was down by more than a notch from the 6.6 degrees on Thursday.

The maximum temperature, too, settled a notch below normal at 22.3 degrees with the weatherman predicting rain and thunderstorm after midnight along with overcast conditions on Saturday.

In Uttar Pradesh, capital Lucknow recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 2.2 degrees. The mercury was appreciably below normal in Gorakhpur, Faizabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Agra and Meerut divisions and the MeT department has forecast rain or thundershowers at a few places in UP over the coming two days.

Punjab and Haryana, too, found themselves battling the biting cold weather even as the MeT department forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers at a few places across the two neighbouring states in the next three days.

Narnaul was the coldest place in Haryana at 2.5 degrees as the mercury there took a four-notch drop. In Punjab, Amritsar was the coldest at 3.2 degrees, which was a drop by one degree, while Ludhiana experienced the chill at 3.6 degrees.

Their joint capital and Union Territory of Chandigarh registered a minimum of 5.7 degrees, which was a notch below normal.

The cold wave has also hit normal life in the desert state of Rajasthan where Churu recorded a low of 2 degrees, about five places below the normal.

The mercury dipped by one to four degrees at most places in Rajsthan due to northerly cold wind conditions prevailing since yesterday, the MeT office said.

People in Jaipur woke up to a cloudy sky and cold winds with the minimum dropping to 9.4 degrees, a dip of about two notches from yesterday.

Rains or thundershowers are likely by tomorrow in the state due to a western disturbance passing through north-west, the weather office said.