Agartala, Jan. 10: Tripura recorded the lowest temperature at 3.3 degrees Celsius this morning as a severe cold wave continued to sweep the state, derailing normal life.

The Met office recorded the lowest temperature of the season yesterday at 4.6 degrees Celsius but a chilly wind pushed the temperature down even further this morning.

A cold wave condition has set in across the state with minimum temperature hovering around 7-10 degrees Celsius though the maximum temperature was between 16 and 22 degrees Celsius.

Temperature dipped further over the past week with no respite in sight within the next 48 hours.

Met office director Dilip Saha attributed the dip in temperature to a cold wind blowing in from the Himalayan region reinforced by another wind blowing from the Siberian region of Russia.

“The Himalayan wind which has created the cold wave has deviated this year from its normal path towards Afghanistan and headed towards the Northeast and eastern India. This is being reinforced by another wind from the Siberian region blowing towards Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and further east.”

He added that dip in the maximum temperature and lack of sufficient sunlight could worsen the condition in the next 48 hours. He said though there was no record Jampui Hill areas in North Tripura bordering Mizoram and Gandacherra, Raima Valley areas of hilly eastern Tripura bordering the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh might be colder.

“Till tomorrow there is no respite but from January 12 or 13 we expect temperatures to rise and a remission in wind flow,” Saha said.

Saha said usually in winter, temperature in Tripura reaches the minimum level of 7 degrees Celsius for a few days, but this time cross currents of two cold wind waves have pushed minimum temperature further down.

Citing statistical data Saha said 40 years back on December 30, 1972, THE minimum temperature in Tripura dipped to 2 degrees Celsius. “In 1974 and 2001, the lowest recorded temperatures were 5.2 and 5.9 degrees Celsius respectively. On January 22, 2003, the minimum recorded temperature had been 4.7 degrees Celsius but yesterday’s and today’s minimum temperatures at 4.6 and 3.3 have beaten all records since 1972; the trouble this time is that the lowest level is continuing whereas in the previous years the coldest temperatures lasted for a day or two,” said Saha.

He also attributed the low temperature level to lack of sunlight for greater part of the day. “Till tomorrow there is no respite but from January 12 or 13 we expect temperatures to rise and a remission in wind flow,” Saha said.