Cold wave continues in parts of north India

Cold weather and foggy conditions continued to prevail in parts of north India today with most of Kashmir Valley reeling under sub-zero temperatures even as 50 trains were delayed due to poor visibility.
In the national capital, moderate fog cover was witnessed in several parts throughout the day which affected the visibility and delayed 50 trains in northern region.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 25.2 degrees Celsius while the minimum temperature was pegged at 7.8 degrees, a MeT department official said.
According to a senior Railway official, 50 trains were running late while 28 trains were rescheduled in the northern region.

The humidity level oscillated between 97 and 48 per cent.
In Kashmir, cold wave continued with the night temperature remaining several degrees below the freezing point.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius, a MeT official here said.
Leh, in Ladakh region of the state, registered a low of minus 8.2 degrees Celsius.
The official said Leh was the coldest recorded place in the state.
In Himachal Pradesh, intense cold wave conditions continued in most parts of the state.
While Keylong and Kalpa in tribal districts of Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur recorded minimum temperature at minus 0.2 degree Celsius and 1.6 degrees Celsius, Bajaura in Kullu district was coldest with a low of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius.

The lower hills of Kullu and Mandi reeled under severe cold wave conditions with mercury hovering around the freezing point and dipping to zero degree at Bhuntar, 0.6 degree Celsius at Sundernagar and 2.4 degrees Celsius at Manali.
Cold conditions prevailed in Punjab and Haryana with mercury dropping few notches below normal in various parts of both the states.
Narnaul in Haryana was the coldest place with a low of 3.5 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal.
Dense fog affected air, rail and road traffic in the region because of poor visibility, officials said.
Hisar and Karnal braved cold weather at 4.4 degrees Celsius and 5.2 degrees Celsius.

In Odisha, the mercury dipped further at Phulbani in Kandhamal district recording a low of 4.6 degrees Celsius.
In Punjab, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded their minimums at 5.4 degrees Celsius, 4.8 degrees Celsius and 7.6 degrees Celsius respectively.
UT Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, had a low of 8.1 degrees Celsius.
In Rajasthan, cold weather conditions and fog continued, affecting the rail network.
The tourist hill station of Mount Abu recorded the lowest temperature in the state with a minimum of 5.2 degrees Celsius, MeT dept officials said.
In Bihar, the residents of Patna today witnessed a foggy morning followed by good sunshine in the afternoon.

According to the Met bulletin, the minimum temperature recorded at Patna was 13.1 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature across the Valley dipped last night
with Srinagar registering a drop of nearly three degrees from the previous night's low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius to settle at a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, in south registered a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, up from yesterday's minus 4.2 degrees Celsius.
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 8.6 degrees, against yesterday's minus 6.0 degrees Celsius yesterday. The resort was the coldest recorded place in the Valley.

Leh town of Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 8.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' considered the harshest period of winter, when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
'Chillai-Kalan', which, began on December 21 last year, ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that.
Mercury rose slightly in parts of Rajasthan, where the lowest temperature was recorded in Sriganganagar at 4.6 degree Celsius.
Pilani, Churu and Vanasthali recorded their minimum at 7.8, 8 and 9.2 degrees Celsius while the night temperature in other areas hovered around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius.

The weather remained dry in the state and similar conditions are likely to prevail during next 24 hours.
People of Bihar, including Patna, experienced a sunny day and major cities of the state witnessed an increase in maximum and minimum temperatures by few notches from normal.
Met officials, however, said Bihar may witness partly cloudy sky after three days.
Patna registered minimum temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 9.1 degrees Celsius.
The state's lowest minimum temperature was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius at Sabour in Bhagalpur district.
Night temperatures were below normal in some parts of Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana and Karnataka while they were markedly above normal in some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

The weatherman has predicted that heavy snowfall is likely to occur at a few places in Jammu and Kashmir and at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh.