Intense cold conditions and fog affected life in parts of Rajasthan, Delhi and other northern states on Monday with sub-zero temperatures being recorded in Sikar’s Fatehpur. While Rajasthan’s Churu recorded a freezing temperature at zero degree Celsius, in the Kashmir Valley, cold conditions further intensified as the minimum temperature dipped several degrees below the freezing point and many places experienced the season’s coldest night.
Parts in and around Delhi are also reeling under shivering cold conditions and dense foggy weather, which as per the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) predictions, will prevail for a while.
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Top points on cold wave in north India:
1) The mercury plunged to a minimum of 5.3 degree Celsius in Delhi, and made a slow climb as the day progressed to settle at a maximum of 16.2 degree Celsius, a departure of five degrees from the normal temperature for the day.
2) The IMD said dense to very dense fog conditions are very likely in parts of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, and west Rajasthan during the next 48 hours, while in east Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the next 24 hours will be densely foggy.
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3) In Kashmir, the intense cold conditions led to freezing of water supply lines in many areas as well as the freezing of the interiors of the Dal Lake. The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 5.8 degree Celsius – down from minus 5.4 degree Celsius on Thursday night, news agency PTI reported. The city experienced its coldest night so far this season.
4) Chandigarh reported a maximum temperature of 11.1 degree Celsius, Ambala 11 degrees (9 deg below normal), Hisar 10.2 degrees (-11.8 deg), Delhi 16.2 degree Celsius (-5 deg), Amritsar 12.9 degree Celsius (-7.1 deg), Ganganagar 10.3 degrees (-11.7 deg), Bareilly 15.4 degree Celsius (-6.6 deg), the weather office said.
5) In Rajasthan, at a minimum temperature of minus 1.5 degree Celsius, Fatehpur was recorded as the coldest place in the desert state followed by Churu and Pilani (Jhunjhunu) where the mercury settled at 0 degree Celsius and 0.2 degree Celsius respectively on Sunday night, according to the Met department.
(With inputs from PTI)
