Chandigarh, Jan 15: Chandigarh recorded its coldest day of the season on Wednesday, with the maximum temperature crashing to 8.9 degrees Celsius. The city was notably colder than several popular hill stations, including Srinagar, where the daytime high reached 13.2 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) officially declared it a “severe cold day” after the mercury settled 9.5 degrees below the seasonal average. In addition to Srinagar, Chandigarh was also chillier than Manali and Shimla, which recorded highs of 15.2 and 14.6 degrees Celsius, respectively.
“Snowfall in Himachal’s higher reaches pushed cold winds down to the plains, and slow wind speed trapped the chill,” said Surender Paul, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Chandigarh.
The absence of sunlight and high relative humidity levels, ranging between 86 and 95 percent, contributed to the persistence of dense fog. While the night temperature rose marginally to 3.8 degrees Celsius, it remained three degrees below normal.
