Delhi: Icy winds and a cloudy sky badly affected normal life in several north Indian states yesterday, with most people forced to stay indoors, officials said.
It was a chilly Sunday in Delhi with the maximum temperature recorded at its lowest so far this winter — seven notches below average — at 15 degrees Celsius. The met department has forecast a foggy start today which will be as chilly.
Dense fog is expected today morning and sky will remain cloudy, said an official of India Meteorological Department.
The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 16 and 6 degrees Celsius, respectively. The minimum temperature yesterday was two notches below average at 6.4 degrees Celsius. The movement of over 40 trains were affected due to fog in the morning.
In Bihar, the cold wave is likely to intensify in the state, with the minimum temperature to go down further, a Met department official said.
Patna recorded a low of around 8 degrees Celsius, while Gaya district had Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 6.2 degrees Celsius. Though the authorities have denied any deaths due to the cold, unconfirmed reports put the toll at seven. “There will be no respite from the cold wave. The winds will keep the weather cold for the next two days at least,” the official said.
While most people preferred to stay indoors, the poor were seen huddled around fires to keep themselves warm in the cloudy, foggy weather.
Dense fog also led to many long-distance trains running late, railway officials said.
Cold wave conditions intensified in the desert state of Rajasthan with Churu recording a minimum temperature of 0.5 degree Celsius.
Mount Abu, the only hill station in the state, shivered at 2 degrees Celsius, while Sikar was chilly at 3 degrees Celsius. Dabok near Udaipur and Pilani in the Shekhawati region were cold at 3.4 and 3.8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Bikaner recorded a minimum of 4.8 degrees Celsius, while state capital Jaipur was chilly at 5.5 degrees Celsius, almost three degrees below normal. IANS
