Icy winds sweep North; mercury plummets in many states

Mercury dipped in many parts of North India as icy winds swept across the region on Wednesday, even though fog affected road and rail traffic in some areas.

Despite a bright and sunny day in the national capital, the icy winds brought the minimum temperature down to 7.9 degrees Celsius, against the minimum of 10 degrees on Tuesday.

The maximum temperature on Wednesday settled at 18 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal.

Early morning fog affected traffic movement in some areas in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.

Some trains were running late in the region, while reduced visibility hampered flight operations in Chandigarh airport.

Freezing cold wave swept across Amritsar as the minimum temperature plummeted to minus 1 degree Celsius with other parts of Punjab and Haryana also reeling under biting chill.

As against Tuesday’s low of 5.2 degrees Celsius, Amritsar recorded the season’s coldest night so far below the freezing point.