JOIN USScattered rains continued in some parts of north India giving respite to the people from the intense cold wave conditions even as the mercury dipped by a few notches in the Kashmir Valley after a short breather.
Delhi recorded a slight dip in the minimum temperature on Sunday even though it was recorded five notches above normal. Fog conditions, however, continued to disrupt trains and flights.
Forty-four trains due to arrive in the national capital were delayed and two trains were rescheduled due to fog conditions in the morning, according to a bulletin issued by the Northern Railways. The trains which were running late included Kolkata Rajdhani, Karnataka Express, Jhelum Express, Utkal Express, Mahakaushal Express, Goa Express, Ashram Express and Sampark Kranti, among others.
The maximum temperature of the day was recorded at 19 degree Celsius, one notch below normal. The minimum temperature settled at 12.0 degree Celsius, five notches above normal.
Three flights were delayed as well. Dense fog also disrupted rail and road traffic in Rajasthan, where the mercury dipped by one to five degrees Celsius at most places due to an upper air cyclonic disturbance passing through the state.
Churu and Mount Abu shivered at 4 degrees Celsius. Sikar recorded a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius, followed by Pilani 5.4, Sriganganagar 7, Udaipur 8, and Ajmer 9.2 degrees Celsius.
State capital Jaipur was engulfed in thick fog till 10 am, and the city recorded a minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius, about five degrees less than the previous night.
Light to moderate rains continued in Punjab and Haryana. The Union Territory of Chandigarh, which received 7.1 mm of rains, recorded a minimum temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius.
After a day’s respite, cold wave conditions returned to haunt residents of Kashmir Valley as the mercury went down many notches below the freezing point on Sunday.
An official of local weather office said minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 4.4 degrees Celsius against previous night’s 2.0 degrees, while mercury settled at minus 6.4 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam, against the previous night’s low of 3.0 degrees.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a low of 10.3 degrees and rainfall of 4 mm. In Punjab, Amritsar registered a minimum of 6 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal. Ludhiana and Patiala, which were lashed by rains, recorded above normal minimum temperatures of 10 and 10.7 degrees respectively.
The mercury in Gulmarg settled at 5.6 degrees Celsius against 3.0 degrees previous night while minimum temperature in Kupwara also dipped to settle at the minimum of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, he said.
Kargil town in Ladakh region was the coldest place in the state with the minimum temperature of minus 15.0 degree Celsius while neighbouring Leh town was the second coldest place with minimum temperature of minus 12.2 degrees.
The temperature appreciated by over one degree Celsius from previous night at both the places.
Meanwhile, light to moderate rainfall occurred at isolated places over Uttar Pradesh and mercury changed a little, keeping the state covered under cold conditions.
Kaisergunj recorded 2 cm rainfall, followed by Bahraich, Aonla 1 cm, the Met department said, adding that fog occurred at a few places.
The lowest minimum temperature was recorded at 6.6 degrees Celsius at Etawah while night temperatures changed little over all divisions of the state.