According to a Junagadh Agriculture University (JAU) official, Tuesday's temperature was the lowest ever recorded in the last 25 years. The severe cold forced people to stay indoors since Monday evening. The streets also wore a deserted look, he said.

The cold has also affected wildlife at the Gir and Girnar forests, he said, however, adding that no cold related wildlife death has been reported till now.

When contacted, Dr D D Sahoo, professor, Department of Agronomy, JAU, said, “Heavy snowfall reported in North India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, is being seen as the reason behind the severe cold wave in northern and western parts of the country. Chilly winds blowing in from the North has led to the mercury dipping further,” he said.

“According to the weather forecast received from Pune, there would be no drastic change in the next 72 hours. The weather will remain almost the same for the next three days, which indicates that the present cold wave will continue,” he said.