At -1.2°C, Hisar coldest in 47 years; crop yield likely to be affected

Tribune News Service
Hisar, December 31

Hisar recorded -1.2°C temperature, eight degrees below normal, on Thursday that broke the record for the coldest December night in 47 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The IMD said it was the coldest day of December in Hisar since 1973 when the mercury was recorded at

-1.5°C. In contrast, Shimla recorded the minimum temperature at 3°C.

Cold weather coupled with dense fog disturbed the normal life in the region.

Haryana’s Narnaul saw a minimum of -0.5°C, while it was 0°C in Punjab’s Bathinda. The sub-zero temperature is likely to reduce the yield of vegetables and rabi crops, including mustard and gram, except wheat. The milch animals are also suffering due to the extreme cold.

Rajesh Beniwal, a horticulturist from Shahpur village, said the frost and low temperature had damaged flowers of his guava trees and likely to reduce fruit yield.

Sant Lal, a small dairy owner of Sundawas, said the milk production had gone down due to the cold wave even though he had made elaborate arrangements to protect his cattle. Dr Rajender Singh, an animal husbandry expert, said the sub-zero temperature affected the dairy animals badly.