No respite from cold wave conditions in Himachal Pradesh

The intense cold wave sweeping the hill areas ofHimachal Pradesh continued unabated as mercury stayed below normal and hovered at freezingpoint at many places of the state, MeT department officials said today.
High altitude tribal areas groaned under biting cold wave conditions with minimumtemperatures staying between minus eight and minus 15 degrees Celsius.
Keylong, Kalpa and Manali shivered atminus 2.6 degrees Celsius, minus 0.8 degree Celsius and 1.6 degree Celsius respectively.
Mercury dropped to 0.5 degree Celsius and 1.0 degree Celsius at Sundernagar and Bhuntar respectively while Chamba and Solan recorded a low of 2.5 degree Celsius and 3.4 degree Celsius.

Una was the hottest with maximum temperature at 25.8 degrees Celsius while Solan and Sundernagarrecorded a high of 24.8 degrees Celsius and 20.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
Nahan recorded 19.2 degrees Celsius, Bhuntar 19.0 degrees Celsius, Shimla 18.9 degrees Celsius, Dharamshala 18.4 degrees Celsius, Manali 15.4 degrees Celsius and Kalpa 14.4 degrees Celsius.

The continued dry spell has become reason of anxiety for farmers as rain deficit from October 1 to December 19. Most districts recorded a deficit of over 90 per cent.
The deficit is 99 per cent in Lahaul and Spiti, and Hamirpur, 97 per cent in Kinnaur, 95 per cent in Kangra, 93 per cent in Kullu and 91 per cent in Chamba districts.

Barring Solan district which received 76 per cent deficit rains, the deficit was 82 to 88 per cent in remaining five districts.
The local MeT office has predicted dry weather in the region up to December 25 with marginal fluctuation in temperature.