Back in January, the minimum temperature had dropped to 1.4 degrees Celsius. Weather forecasters predict that the minimum temperature will plunge further on Thursday to minus 1.
Meteorologists, however, said the drop in the mercury is nothing unusual as the Valley has seen temperatures as low as minus 2 degrees in the past.
Earthquake victims living in makeshift tents and children and elderly, who are the most vulnerable to the cold, should not expect to heave any sigh of relief as the meteorological office said freezing temperatures will continue unabated for the next couple of days.
Officials at the Metrological Forecasting Division (MFD) warned of a further dip in the mercuty, as there are no signs of any improvement.
"Temperatures have been falling continuously across the country since one week and chances of improvement appear slim," said Samir Shrestha, meteorologist at the division. He attributed the sharp cold to northerly winds and clear skies.
People in the tarai plains and the mountain regions are yet to experience any cold wave and snowfall. Shrestha said the chances of snow in the hill and mountain districts are slim, as there is no moisture in the air.
The tarai has been suffering a cold spell, with fog and mist engulfing the region until afternoon. Meteorologist Shrestha claimed that a cold wave in the tarai is also unlikely under the existing conditions.
Meanwhile, people in Jumla experienced a frigid day on Wednesday, with the mercury plunging to minus 8.4 degrees Celsius. Maximum temperature in the district was 12.5 degrees.
Likewise, the minimum temperature in Dadeldhura dropped to 1.5 degrees Celsius, with the maximum at 12 degrees. Birendranagar also experienced bitter cold, with the temperature tumbling to 1.5 degrees. The maximum was 19 degrees.
The minimum temperature in Dipayal had dropped to 1.8 degrees. Taplejung and Okhaldhunga recorded minimums of 3.7 and 3.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
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