Cold intensifies in N-India

The fresh cold-related deaths were reported from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. Cold wave swept across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh with mercury recording a drop of up to three notches below normal.

Night temperature in Kashmir and Ladakh showed an upward trend, while Jammu recorded a drop in mercury at 4 deg C, four degrees below normal. In Himachal Pradesh, a sunny day brought relief to residents of Shimla, though the higher reaches of the state continued to reel under sub-zero temperatures.

Cold conditions and dense fog affected normal life in Rajasthan. Fog paralysed normal life in Ajmer, Jaipur, Pilani, Sikar, Rawatbhata, Churu, Ganganagar and Bikaner, while flight operations at Sanganer airport in Jaipur remained affected till noon.

Chilly winds blowing in the national capital led to a drop in the minimum temperature that stood at 6.5 deg C. The Met department attributed the cold conditions to icy winds blowing from snow-capped mountains in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Shallow fog in the morning reduced visibility to 800 metres. However, there was no disruption in flight operations at the IGI airport. Some inbound and outbound flights were delayed due to poor weather conditions at the destination or originating cities.
The Met department has forecast light to moderate rainfall at some places in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi in the next few days.