Cold conditions continue in north India; fog hits train

There was no let up in cold conditions in northern parts of the country today as train services were hit due to fog.
There was some relief for people in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan from intense cold as minimum temperatures rose, but Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh reeled under chilly conditions.
The national capital recorded a low of 8 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average, while trains services were hit because of fog, which also engulfed parts of Uttar Pradesh.
As many as 24 north-bound trains were cancelled, 23 rescheduled and 49 delayed as of 5 pm, the Northern Railway said.

The maximum temperature here was recorded at 22.7 degrees Celsius, three notches above the normal, a Meteorological (MeT) department official said here.
In Jammu and Kashmir, minimum temperature rose by several degrees at most places in the Valley and the Ladakh region, with Srinagar recording a low of minus 3 degrees Celsius, nearly three notches up from minus 6.3 degrees the previous night.

Record low temperature over the last few days in Srinagar had led to freezing of fringes of the famous Dal Lake and other water bodies as well as water in pipes.
Night temperatures in Qazigund in south Kashmir settled at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius -- up from yesterday's minus 5.4 degrees, the MeT office in Sringar said.

The region is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' -- the harshest 40-day period of winter when the chances of snowfall are maximum.
The MeT has forecast mainly dry weather in the state over the next week.
Intense cold wave conditions persisted in most parts of Himachal Pradesh as minimum temperatures rose marginally and the sky remained partially overcast in Shimla and high- altitude areas of the state.
Temperatures ranged between minus 12 and minus 18 degrees in high-altitude areas with Keylong and Kalpa recording a low of minus 5.6 degree and 0.4 degrees Celsius.
Shimla recorded 8.7 degrees Celsius, six degree above the normal, followed by Nahan 7.7 degrees Celsius, Dharamsala 6.2 degrees Celsius, Una and Palampur 5 degrees Celsius and Solan 2.4 degrees Celsius.

The MeT office has warned of severe cold wave conditions in the hills areas on January 12 and 13 and dry weather in the state over the next six days.
Punjab and Haryana reeled under cold weather conditions with Adampur the coldest at 3.2 degrees Celsius and Chandigarh recording a low of 6.6 degrees Celsius, one degree above the normal.
Parts of Uttar Pradesh, particularly those in the west, continued to brave the chill with dense fog at isolated places.
Muzaffarnagar recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at 3.6 degrees Celsius, the MeT office in Lucknow said.
In Rajasthan, people had some respite from

the bone chilling cold with the minimum temperatures increasing by 1 to 2 degrees at most places due to western disturbances.
Fatehpur Shekhawati recorded a minimum temperature of 0.8 degrees Celsius, followed by Churu 1.0 degrees Celsius, Sriganganagar 2.8 degree Celsius, Alwar 3 degrees Celsius, a MeT official said
"Cold wave conditions were witnessed in Churu, Jhunjhunu, Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur," the official said.