New Delhi/Shimla, December 15:
In an unusual turn of weather patterns, the national capital, Delhi, experienced temperatures at least two notches lower than the renowned hill stations of Shimla and Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh on Friday. This reversal was echoed in various places across the plains of northern India, as reported by the Shimla Met Office.
While Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 4.9 degrees Celsius, Shimla, situated approximately 7,000 feet above sea level, registered a low of 6.8 degrees. Dharamsala reported 8.2 degrees Celsius, and Dalhousie recorded 6.8 degrees. Surprisingly, Punjab’s Amritsar and Ludhiana, along with Haryana’s Hisar and Karnal, experienced lower temperatures at 8 degrees, 11.8, 6.2, and 7.4 degrees Celsius, respectively. The joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh, observed a low of 9.1 degrees.
An official from Shimla’s Meteorological Office explained that the hill stations exhibited higher night temperatures compared to the plains due to the settling of the inversion layer on mountain tops. This phenomenon results from the warm air lifted from the plains overlaying the existing cold air in the mountains.
Sumdoh in Lahaul-Spiti district emerged as the coldest place in Himachal Pradesh at 3.5 degrees below the freezing point. The weather in popular destinations like Kasauli, Chail, Kufri, Narkanda, and Palampur is expected to remain sunny.
The Met Office forecasts dry weather in the hills until the activation of western disturbances—storm systems originating from the Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Tourists in Shimla expressed delight at the pleasant days and balmy nights.
“What pleasant days in Shimla,” remarked Nikita Gaur, a tourist from Delhi. “We are enjoying long sunny days and balmy nights.”
