New Delhi:
A relentless cold wave is sweeping through north India, leaving people shivering and desperately hoping for some respite. There has been heavy snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. And the Meteorological Department has predicted more snowfall in these states.
The mercury has dipped to minus 5.5 degrees in Srinagar and minus 16 degrees in Gulmarg. What's worse, the Kashmir valley has been plunged into darkness with the collapse of the power infrastructure due to heavy snowfall. The Jammu Srinagar highway has also been closed for the last three days.
In Punjab, there has been snowfall as far as Pathankot which has seen snowfall after 40 years. The district normally experiences maximum temperature of up to 45 degree Celsius in summer. And that's what makes this change of weather very unusual.
Himachal has also seen heavy snowfall. Kangra has received snowfall after 35 years; the minimum temperature hovered around freezing point in most places and maximum day temperature plunged to 0.4 degree Celsius in Manali.