A cold wave has hit parts of Rajasthan due to the reactivation of a Western Disturbance, intensifying winter conditions. Temperatures have sharply dropped across various districts, with icy winds bringing severe chill, especially at night and in the early morning hours.
Following nearly a week of dry weather, snowfall in the Himalayan foothills and a shift in wind patterns have ushered freezing winds into the desert plains, causing night temperatures to plummet by up to 7 degrees Celsius in many areas, significantly escalating the cold.
The Meteorological Department has predicted dry weather in the western and southern regions of Rajasthan for the next two days. However, dense fog and cold winds are anticipated to persist in the northeastern areas, further heightening the cold spell.
Fatehpur (Sikar) recorded a minimum temperature of 2.6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday morning, nearly 7 degrees lower than the previous Tuesday. Similarly, Nagaur saw a minimum temperature of 3.6 degrees Celsius, with frozen dew drops creating a pearl-like glow on crops, trees, and barns overnight.
For the past week, Fatehpur had enjoyed sunny days with night temperatures around 10 degrees Celsius. Nonetheless, a sudden weather shift brought dense fog on Wednesday morning, keeping residents indoors until late morning.
Cold northeasterly winds have also impacted Jaipur, where the chill intensified from Tuesday evening onwards, with fog enveloping the city’s outskirts on Wednesday morning.
The Meteorological Department has cautioned that strong cold winds will persist, leading to colder mornings and evenings in Jaipur and several other cities in the next 24 hours. Meteorologists have issued a weekend alert, warning of a potential change in wind patterns that could usher icy northern winds into Rajasthan’s plains, with night temperatures in some areas nearing freezing levels, signaling the start of a severe cold wave across the state.
An alert for cold wave and fog has been issued by the IMD for northern and western districts, including Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Churu.
