24% of the country’s population in the grip of cold wave; Cold winds increased chills, increased difficulty due to rain-snowfall

A large part of the country’s population is facing cold wave. According to the Meteorological Department, on Sunday, 24 percent of the population of about 16 percent of the districts of the country will face cold wave today. 75 in UP, 17 in Rajasthan, 14 in Bihar and one district each in Jharkhand and Punjab are in the grip of cold wave. Cold winds have increased the chill in these areas.

More than 500 roads stalled after heavy snowfall in Himachal
Normal life has been badly affected after heavy snowfall in Himachal Pradesh on Friday. More than 500 roads are closed in the state. Traffic is stalled on 303 roads in Shimla district alone. National Highway-5 has not been restored even after four days. At many places, the vehicles of tourists are stuck in the snow. The situation in the high altitude areas has become so bad that people are not even getting milk and bread. The local administration is engaged in road restoration and snow removal from the routes. A sheet of snow is visible all around the city due to more than a foot of snowfall.

A local official said Saturday was declared a holiday in the city government offices in view of the heavy snowfall. Transport services have come to a standstill in entire Himachal including Shimla. However, people have breathed a sigh of relief due to the bright sunshine in Shimla in the morning, but the problem has increased due to the closure of the road. 685 power transformers are closed in the district. 28 drinking water projects are also stalled.

Weather will remain dry in Uttarakhand till February 8
The Meteorological Department has said that till February 8, the weather will remain dry in Uttarakhand. After this, due to the activation of another Western Disturbance, there is a possibility of rain and snowfall in the mountainous areas of Garhwal and Kumaon. On the other hand, hundreds of villages located in the high altitude areas of the state are still isolated. In some villages, people themselves have opened the roads by clearing the snow. Drinking water crisis has arisen due to freezing of water pipes in many areas including Mussoorie’s Cantt area.

Rain-snow forecast in the valley today
The Meteorological Department has forecast rain and snowfall at isolated places in the Valley in the next 24 hours amid a drop in the minimum temperature in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the Meteorological Department, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, recorded a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the famous ski-resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 9.8 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Pahalgam was minus 11.3 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam was the coldest place in the valley.

According to officials, the minimum temperature in Qazigund was minus 3.3 degrees Celsius, while the nearby town of Kokernag recorded a low of minus 4.9 degrees Celsius. He said that in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, the mercury dropped to minus four degrees Celsius. The meteorological office said that the weather is likely to remain dry in the plains of Jammu and Kashmir. Light rain or snowfall is expected at isolated places over the next two days.

Still no relief from cold in Rajasthan
Cold weather continues in many parts of Rajasthan. Churu in the state recorded a minimum temperature of 3.3 degrees Celsius on Friday night. The minimum temperature in the capital Jaipur was 9.1 degree Celsius. The minimum temperature remained below 10 degree Celsius at many places across the state.

Snowfall in Sikkim and North Bengal
Due to fresh snowfall in many parts of Sikkim and adjoining North Bengal, the Himalayan and Dooars regions recorded a drop in temperature. The Meteorological Department said on Saturday that many areas of Gangtok and its adjoining highlands, Ralang and Rwangla in South Sikkim, Chewangbhanjayang, Okhre, Hile and Barse in West Sikkim and many areas of North Sikkim received snowfall in the early hours of Friday and Saturday.

Darjeeling, Chatakpur, Ghoom, Sandakphu and Falut in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district and Lava in neighboring Kalimpong district also received snowfall. Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts of Dooars region received rain accompanied by cold winds.