Cold wave alert in Rajasthan as temperatures fall sharply

A cold wave has affected some areas of the Rajasthan state, as winter conditions became harsher due to the Western Disturbance's reactivation. Several districts recorded a steep drop in temperature with strong icy winds causing severe chill, particularly at night and in the early hours of the day.

The Himalayan foothills experienced snowfall, and a change in wind patterns reversed nearly a week of dry weather, resulting in the arrival of freezing winds to the desert plains. Night temperatures in several places were lowered by up to 7 degrees Celsius, which was quite an increase in the cold.

The Meteorological Department predicts that there will be dry weather in the western and southern parts of Rajasthan for the next two days. However, dense fog and cold winds are anticipated to persist in the northeastern regions, thus adding to the chill.

On Wednesday morning, Fatehpur (Sikar) experienced a minimum temperature of 2.6 degrees Celsius, almost 7 degrees Celsius lower than the previous Tuesday.

Nagaur, on the other hand, registered a minimum temperature of 3.6 degrees Celsius. The dew was frozen overnight, and the water drops on plants, trees, and houses were shining like pearls, as reported by IANS.

Fatehpur had a week of sunny weather with temperatures at night of 10 degrees Celsius. But such a weather change caught the residents off guard as they had to stay inside their houses during the dense fog early in the morning on Wednesday.

The cold winds coming from the northeast also reached Jaipur, where the night chill became stronger from Tuesday evening. On Wednesday morning, the fog was so thick that it covered the suburbs of the city.

The Meteorological Department has issued a warning that the harsh cold winds will not give up and that the mornings and evenings will be even colder in Jaipur and several other towns within the next 24 hours. Meteorologists issued a weekend alert saying that northern winds may shift southward due to a change in wind patterns, which could result in night temperatures in some places falling to the freezing point, signalling the start of a cold wave across the state.

The IMD has likewise declared a cold wave and an alert regarding fog for the northern and western districts, including Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Churu.