Unusual spell of cold wave grips Nagaland

Temperature dips to single digit as many districts receive snowfall, rain

Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 27

Snowfall and rain was witnessed in many parts of Nagaland since Thursday evening and early Friday morning leading to a drastic dip in the temperature and its citizens shivering.  

Severe ‘unusual’ cold conditions gripped the districts of Zunheboto, Phek, Tuensang, Kiphire, Peren and Kohima with maximum temperature hovering between 7-14 degree Celsius during day time and minimum at bitingly chilling 3 degree Celsius during night time. The cold wave spell was accompanied by wind and rain in many areas. 

On Friday, snowfall was witnessed in Tokiye town, Luveshe Old and Hoshepu villages under Aghunato sub-division, Zunheboto, Zavame village in Phek district under Pfütsero sub division, Kiutsukiur and Konya villages under Tuensang district, Phisame village under Kiphire district and Dzuleke under Kohima district. 

Even Dimapur, known for its humidity and high temperature during summer and a cool winter shivered on Friday with temperature recorded at 16 degree Celsius on average, according to Skymetweather. The cold spell at the commercial hub was accompanied by a drizzle. 

While snowfall is an annual affair in Tokiye town under Aghunato sub-division, Zunheboto, the residents of Luvishe Old village were witnessing snowfall in their area after a gap of 11 years. 

Extremely cold weather is a common phenomenon particularly in areas of Zunheboto, Tuensang, Kiphire and Phek districts during winter. However, the harsh winter experience is more felt during January. 

“We normally experience such extreme cold weather during January, but this winter, it arrived early,” Vinato Z Awomi, a general secretary in the Eastern Sumi Students Union told The Morung Express. Awomi, who was in Tokiye town to attend a local students’ union conference said the weather this year was more extreme than the previous years. 

Similarly, our Kiphire Correspondent informed that villagers in Phisami village under Kiphire district were reported to have witnessed snowfall in their area after a decade. 

At Kapamodzu peak, Zavame village under Pkeh district, fresh snowfall was also reported on Friday. The snowfall this winter is early, according to villagers. Usually, snowfall is expected in January. The frozen lake at Pfütsero sub-division, the highest altitude town and the coldest inhabited place in Nagaland was also frozen by Friday morning.

Normally a January phenomenon, the frozen lake is a hotspot for tourists. “Tourists and locals visit the frozen lake during January since it is during this time that the lake freeze into ice, as the name denotes,” Rose Rekha, a resident told The Morung Express. 

Rekha further informed that the weather this winter felt more biting and extreme. Since December 26, Pfütsero area has been experiencing high velocity wind along with moderate rainfall which brought the temperature further down. 

The cold spell and rain is likely to continue for a couple of days. According to Skymetweather forecast as on Friday, few spells of light to moderate rain and thundershower with gusty winds is likely to continue at many places over Dimapur, Kiphire, Kohima, Longleng, Mokokchung, Mon, Peren, Phek, Tuensang, Wokha and Zunheboto the districts of Nagaland during the next 10-12 hours.  

Cold wave condition in India to continue till year end: IMD 

This unusual spell of cold wave is not only experienced in Nagaland or the North East region but in many pockets of the country. Several parts of India have been reeling under a spell of severe cold wave over the last week.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), severe cold day conditions would continue to be experienced in most pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Cold day to severe cold day conditions in many pockets over Bihar; in some pockets over West Madhya Pradesh and cold day in some pockets over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim; in isolated pockets over East Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha. 

Dense fog will very likely be experienced in isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, north Rajasthan, north Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Odisha, Assam & Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura.

The IMD forecasted that cold wave conditions would continue till the end of the year in many states in north India. The capital is already in the midst of the longest cold wave in December seen in 22 years.

Environmentalists and scientists fear that the harsh and unexpected weather conditions are due to climate change.