2017 North Indian cold wave
{{Short description|Weather event in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox storm
| name = January 2017 North India cold wave
| image = North India Zonal Map 14July2013.png
| caption = North India zonal map
| pressure =
| lowest temperature = {{convert|-12.4|C|F|abbr=on}} {{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/cold-wave-intensifies-in-kashmir-gulmarg-coldest-at-minus-12-4-4466033/|title= Gulmarg cold|work= The Indian Express| agency= Press Trust of India |date=9 January 2017}}
| date formed = 3 January 2017
| maximum amount =
| casualties = At least 16 in North India due to cold weather, another 25 due to avalanches in Kashmir{{cite web|url= https://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-deadly-kashmir-avalanches-rises-25-135423675.html|title= Death toll rises to 25| agency= Agence France-Presse |date= 30 January 2017| access-date= February 2, 2017}}
| stormtype = Cold wave, avalanches, rainfall, snowfall
| areas affected = North India, Kashmir Valley
}}
North India was devastated by a cold wave during the month of January 2017. This occurrence had a severe effect on several North Indian states,{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/light-rain-fog-likely-this-weekend/articleshow/56432412.cms|title=North India, under cold wave|work=The Times of India| date= 10 January 2017}} including Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan,{{cite web| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/cold-wave-to-aggravate-in-next-few-days/articleshow/56396997.cms|title= Cold wave intensifies in North India|work= The Times of India|date= 8 January 2017| access-date= February 2, 2017}} and Uttar Pradesh. The lowest temperature in Gulmarg due to the cold wave was recorded at {{convert|-12.4|C|F|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/cold-wave-intensifies-in-kashmir-gulmarg-coldest-at-minus-12-4-4466033/|title= Kashmir gets snow fall|work= The Indian Express| agency= Press Trust of India |date= 9 January 2016}} The banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar froze. Keylong of Himachal Pradesh and Kargil of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed low temperatures of {{convert|-13.9|C|F|abbr=on}}.
Several army camps in Kashmir bound sectors were damaged and many people died in avalanches in Kashmir districts near the Line of Control during the last few days of January 2017.{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/two-avalanches-hit-gurez-sector-in-jk-6-soldiers-killed-several-missing-army/articleshow/56793885.cms|title= Avalanches hit Kashmir|work= The Times of India|date=27 January 2017}}
Effect
The minimum temperatures in some parts of North Indian states fell below freezing, with rainfall and snowfall.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} Parts of Gujarat{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/cold-wave-grips-n-gujarat-abu-freezes-at-2c/articleshow/56505428.cms|title= North Gujarat, under cold wave|work=The Times of India|date=13 January 2017}} and Madhya Pradesh were{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/mercury-freefall-bhopal-and-indore-continue-to-shiver/articleshow/56529867.cms|title= Central India, feels cold wave|work= The Times of India|date= 13 January 2017}} affected by the cold wave, with a fall in temperatures at night. Due to intense fog and lack of visibility, several trains running through North India were delayed and rescheduled.{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/cold-wave-intensifies-in-north-india-train-services-affected/|title= Cold wave effects train schedules|work= The Indian Express| date=13 January 2017}} Seven people in Shimla lost their lives due to the cold wave.{{cite web| url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/7-die-in-shimla-as-much-of-north-india-sees-seasons-lowest-temperature/articleshow/56486985.cms|title= Cold wave affecting life|work= The Times of India|date=12 January 2017}} Nine people died in parts of Uttar Pradesh,{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/chill-grips-north-india-mercury-continues-to-dip/story-9dty3FyGxY8JsGiKoYRT3M.html|title= Deaths in North India, due to cold wave|work=Hindustan Times|date= 14 January 2017}} capital Lucknow where the temperature fell to {{convert|0.1|C|F|abbr=on}}. Three people died due to fog related accidents in North India.{{cite web|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/three-killed-in-fog-related-accidents-fresh-snow-in-himachal-pradesh-and-uttarakhand-3184432.html|title= Fog accidents|publisher= First Post|date= 2 January 2017}}
India's capital New Delhi witnessed minimum temperatures of {{convert|3.4|C|F|abbr=on}}.{{cite web| url= http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/delhi-continues-to-freeze-temperature-falls-to-5-year-low-on-thursday-morning/story-P8YqN0X0bK47kZb2VDybIJ.html|title= Delhi cold |work= Hindustan Times |date= 12 January 2017}} Several schools of Noida and Delhi were closed, due to the severity of the cold wave. The western disturbances which creates an upper air cyclonic circulation over Jammu and Kashmir caused rainfall in Chandigarh, which was recorded by India Meteorological Department as the heaviest rainfall in Chandigarh in the last 22 years.{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/65-mm-rain-in-24-hours-22-year-record-drowns-in-chandigarh/story-M7sqL7YD6kl2ReErVOkoIJ.html|title= Chandigarh received heaviest rainfall|work=Hindustan Times|date= 8 January 2017}}
= Kashmir avalanches =
File:India Jammu and Kashmir location map UN view.svg
Five people including an army officer, died in an avalanche in Kashmir. Four members of a family were killed in avalanches in the Ganderbal and Bandipora districts of Kashmir. One army officer died due to an avalanche on an army camp at Sonamarg.
Fifteen Indian soldiers died and several soldiers went missing due to three avalanches that hit the Gurez and Kupwara Sectors of Kashmir, Bandipora district near the Line of Control on 26 January 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/one-officer-dead-after-avalanche-hits-army-camp-in-kashmir-say-police/story-VVIN6fpXAcozsjJFHW5iNK.html|title= Indian soldiers died in Kashmir avalanches|work=Hindustan Times|date=26 January 2017}}
A rescue team operated immediately to search for missing soldiers{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/five-soldiers-missing-after-hit-by-avalanche-in-kupwara/articleshow/56829711.cms|title= Rescue operations to search missing|work= The Times of India|date=28 January 2017}} and helped the civilians evacuate from snowfall and avalanche-prone villages of Gurez to safer areas. The rescue operations by Indian Army, saved five army personnel trapped under snow by the avalanche that had hit the Army post in Kupwara district. All five later succumbed to their injuries while recuperating in hospitals.{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/five-soldiers-in-machil-succumb-to-injuries/articleshow/56872775.cms|title= Rescued soldiers die due to injuries|work= The Times of India|date= 30 January 2017}} Three corpses of victims were retrieved during the rescue operations in the Gurez sector.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Cold wave}}
{{Disasters in India in 2017}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:North India cold wave}}
Category:2017 disasters in India
Category:2017 natural disasters