Warm day, cold night in plains; no respite for Himalayan towns (Roundup)

NEW DELHI - The winter weather in the north Indian plains shifted to warm, sunny days and cold nights even as the Himalayan towns continued to reel under extreme cold conditions.

While Srinagar saw another tap-freezing day Tuesday, it was a lot better in the national capital and cities in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh where a bright sunny day allowed people to reduce the layers of woollens on them.

According to weather offices in state capitals, the pattern of warm days and cold nights is to continue in the coming days.

People should keep watch on the big difference in temperatures between the warm day and cold night as this could cause health problems, an official said.

However, there was no respite from the cold for the Himalayan towns.

Residents of Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley faced a tough time Tuesday heating up frozen water taps and negotiating the slippery roads as the minimum temperature in the city and the nearby region dipped to 5.6 degrees below freezing point.

“Even lighting a matchstick outside is a herculean job as fingers become numb immediately after exposure to the extreme chill,” said Mehraj-ud-Din, 38, a fruit seller in Residency Road area of Srinagar.

Elder Kashmiris, who earlier were ruing the absence of icicles which were common during their childhood, were happy Tuesday at the sight of icicles hanging from the rooftops.

Himachal towns, including Shimla also continued to be haunted by severe cold conditions. But no fresh snow fell in the hills Monday night.

The roads in upper Shimla, which were closed due to snow for many days, have opened partially. Drivers have been cautioned of dangerous slippery conditions.

The scene was very different in the plains.

Another sunny warm day greeted Delhiites with the maximum temperature at 22.7 degrees, according to the weather office.

By evening the chill returned, with the temperature falling dramatically. Met officials said this will be the pattern in the coming days.

All parts of Punjab, Haryana and their joint capital city Chandigarh also saw a rise in the mercury Tuesday. Bright sunshine and clear sky prevailed across the two states.

Haryanas’s Hisar was warmest at a maximum temperature of 20.4 degrees Celsius. Chandigarh recorded a maximum of 18 degrees.

In Punjab, Amritsar, Patiala and Ludhiana cities registered maximum temperatures of 17.8, 18.5 and 18.9 degrees, respectively.

Most Uttar Pradesh cities also saw considerable rise in day temperature to around 20 degrees.

Agra was the coldest at 3.6 degrees, but the city of the Taj also had a maximum of 20.6 degrees.