Gir, Kutch and the north Gujarat region are in the grip of a cold wave as the temperature has dropped from its normal level by 4 degrees celsius. The meteorological department has forecast that the weather pattern will continue for the next 24 hours.
According to the India Meteorological Department, in the past 24 hours in Rajkot, the minimum temperature was reported to be 8.9 degrees celsius, which was 4 degrees celsius below the normal level. According to IMD, for the next two days, the minimum temperature will be 8 degrees celsius in Saurashtra.
The mercury level dropped to 3.3 degrees celsius in Naliya, 12.3 degrees celsius in Deesa and -1.6 degrees celsius in Mount Abu on Friday. The decline in the temperature brought chilly weather conditions in most parts of the region. "As mercury levels dropped, the white salty crust of the desert sprawling over hundreds of miles on the border of Kutch and Pakistan became unbearably cold during the night," said a forest official deployed at Radhanpur in Patan district.
While the clearing up of the sky at noon provided some relief from the weather conditions, most parts of the region faced intense cold with chilly winds blowing during morning and night.
According to IMD, "Chilly winds from northern belts have brought in extremely cold conditions, thereby dipping the mercury levels." However, the cold wave is normal in the first and second week of December and the present weather conditions may prevail for another week or so, it added.
Meanwhile, the adverse weather conditions affected normal life, especially the vulnerable areas of the town including Modasa, Malpur, Idar, Prantij and Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district.
