As the cold northerly winds make a comeback, the maximum temperature dropped to 12°C and the night temperature fell to 9.4°C on Sunday, eight notches below normal.
As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Chandigarh witnessed severe cold conditions and was colder during the day than Shimla at 18.9°C, Dharamshala at 16.6°C and Manali at 14°C.
Severe cold day is declared when minimum temperature falls below 10°C and maximum temperature is more than 6.5°C below normal.
The Meteorological Department said that there is no chance of getting relief from cold conditions for the next 48 hours.
“Rainfall seems likely in the coming days and cold day conditions are expected to continue. Light to moderate fog may also continue in the city,” said an IMD official.
This is the coldest the city has been since December 30, when maximum temperature dropped to 11.6°C, the season’s lowest and the last time a severe cold day was recorded this season. Meteorological Director Surendra Pal has said that there is no hope of getting relief from the cold in January. He also expressed the possibility that western disturbances will come this month, which will cause snowfall in the mountains.
