TNNLudhiana: Residents continued to struggle with biting cold during the night as minimum temperature in the city again slipped below 5 degrees Celsius on Thursday. At the same time, the meteorological department has predicted thunderstorm, lightning, gusty winds, heavy rain and even hail in Ludhiana district on Friday.According to the met department, Ludhiana recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 derees Celsius on Thursday, which is 1.7 degrees below normal and 1.8 degrees lower than the previous day. Earlier, on Jan 12, the city recorded its coldest night of the ongoing winter season when temperatures dipped to 4.2 degrees Celsius.Meanwhile, sunny conditions prevailed for most of the day on Thursday, leading to a rise in maximum temperature. Day temperature was recorded at 24 degrees Celsius — 5.6 degrees above normal and 1.4 degrees higher than on Wednesday.Fog was reported in various parts of the district early Thursday morning. Visibility at 8.30am was recorded at 200 metres due to the dense layer.In its weather warning for districts across the state, the met department issued an orange alert for Ludhiana for Friday and a yellow alert for Sunday. For Friday, the forecast warns of “thunderstorm, lightning, gusty wind (40 to 50 kmph), heavy rain, hail.” For Sunday, the department has predicted “dense to very dense fog at isolated places” in the district. As per the met department, a yellow alert is issued to departments concerned “to be updated,” while an orange alert indicates the need “to be prepared” for severe weather.No alert has been issued for Saturday and Monday, though the forecast mentions a partly cloudy sky on both days.According to the meteorological department website, day temperature is expected to fall to 14 degrees Celsius by Saturday, then rise to 16 degrees Celsius on Sunday and remain at the same level on Monday. Night temperatures may drop sharply to 3 degrees Celsius on Saturday before rising to 9 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.Amid fluctuating conditions, residents say the weather has become confusing, with warm days and harshly cold nights. Harwinder Singh, a local resident, said people are relieved that the day temperatures have improved, but night-time cold remains severe. He added that residents are taking extra precautions as such variations—warm days and cold nights—can cause health issues.
