Jaipur: Cold wave conditions intensified across the state Sunday as minimum temperatures plunged, with Fatehpur in the Shekhawati region recording the state’s lowest at -2.0°C, the meteorological centre said. Nagaur was the only other station to drop below freezing, at -1.0°C.The Jaipur Met office attributed the conditions to active north-westerly winds and said there would be no respite from the freezing cold for the next few days. “No major changes in the weather conditions are likely in the coming days,” it said, adding that no significant rise in minimum temperatures is expected immediately.Jaipur recorded a minimum of 9.2°C, nearly 1°C above normal, followed by a sunny day with a maximum of 22.9°C. The Met office said the city could see a slight dip in both minimum and maximum temperatures in the coming days.Other minimum temperatures recorded across the state were: Pilani 1.2°C, Sikar 1.7°C, Churu 2.0°C, Mount Abu 2.5°C, Bikaner 2.8°C, Jaisalmer 3.1°C, Sri Ganganagar 3.6°C, Dausa 3.7°C, Karauli 3.8°C, Alwar 4.0°C, Barmer 5.8°C, Jodhpur 7.5°C, Chittorgarh 8.8°C, and Udaipur 9.8°C.Residents in Fatehpur and Nagaur reported water freezing in pipelines during early morning hours. Farmers also avoided watering crops in the morning to prevent frost. “These are harsh conditions. We have stopped watering the crops in the morning and do it in the afternoon when there’s sunlight,” said Sitaram Saini, a farmer from Fatehpur. The prolonged cold spell slowed morning routines and raised concerns about frost damage to standing rabi crops in colder districts.
