Weather Updates: Cold Wave in Delhi, Mercury Dips to Zero in Rajasthan's Churu; Kashmir Reels Under Harshest Winter Period 'Chillai Kalan'

Cold wave wrapped Delhi as temperature in parts of the Capital plunged to a minimum of 3°C, said the India Meteorological Department said. The weather agency also predicted that dense fog and cold wave conditions will be prevalent at most places in the city on Monday.

IMD reports mentioned that parts of Delhi reported a cold day on Sunday. A day is declared cold when when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal.

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Delhi: Dense Fog Lowers Visibility; 10 Trains Delayed So Far

A cold wave swept through parts of Delhi on Monday and dense fog lowered visibility to 50 metres in some areas of the city, affecting road and rail traffic.

Ten trains were reported running late by 1:45 to 3:30 hours, a railway spokesperson said.

The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, logged a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius — three notches below normal. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 19 degrees Celsius, the weather office said.

Biting Cold, Dense Fog in Parts of Punjab, Haryana

Biting cold conditions and dense fog were reported in several parts of Punjab and Haryana on Monday, with Narnaul being recorded the coldest in the region at 2.4 degrees Celsius.

In Haryana, Hisar also recorded piercing cold as the minimum temperature plunged to 2.5 degrees Celsius. Ambala recorded a low of 7.7 degrees Celsius, Karnal 6.8 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 6.6 degrees Celsius, Bhiwani 5.5 degrees Celsius and Sirsa 5.2 degrees Celsius.

Union Territory Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4 degrees Celsius.

Kashmir Reels Under Intense Cold

The minimum temperature in Kashmir rose by a couple of degrees but stayed below the freezing point offering little respite from cold conditions, officials said on Monday. The valley is going through a dry spell with no major precipitation forecast till the end of December. However, there is a possibility of a brief wet spell this week, the MET department said.

The minimum temperature on Sunday night rose two to three degrees from the previous night but stayed below the freezing point. The intense cold conditions led to freezing of water supply lines in many areas as well as the freezing of the interiors of the Dal Lake, they said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius — up from minus 5.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, the officials said. They said Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius, up from minus 7 degrees Celsius.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus -5 Degrees Celsius.

–Thick Fog Engulfs Punjab; Amritsar Records 6.5°C

–Layer of Snow On Vehicles in Rajasthan’s Mount Abu

A layer of snow was seen on vehicles on Monday morning in Rajasthan’s Mount Abu as temperature dropped. State’s Churu, meanwhile. recorded 0 degree Celsius.

On Monday, cold wave to severe cold wave conditions prevailed at isolated pockets over Rajasthan and as similar condition prevailed at isolated pockets over Haryana & Delhi, said the IMD

— US Death Toll Rises to 26 as Winter Storm Sweeps Large Parts of Country

The death toll of people killed has risen to 26 as frosty winters continue to sweep large parts of the US, The Hill reported on Sunday. As a consequence of the Arctic blast and the winter storm, numerous people have died as a consequence of weather-related road accidents or the cold.

Buffalo, N.Y. has been the hardest impacted city in the country, with at least seven people confirmed deceased as a result of the storm. As of 7 a.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service reported 43 inches of snow at Buffalo’s airport, The Hill reported.

The storm has sent temperatures well below freezing across the US and has destroyed Christmas eve for many. As it pounded regions, the storm delivered hurricane-force winds and whiteout conditions

— Patna Cold Wave: Schools Will Remain Closed For Students Up to Class VIII

Several schools in Patna will remain shut for students up to Class VIII due to the ongoing cold wave conditions. The institutes will remain shut from December 26 to December 31, said Patna DM.

— How Cold Was Delhi On Sunday

The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, logged a minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius — three notches below normal. The maximum temperature settled at 16.2 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal and the lowest so far this season.

The mercury dropped to 3 degrees Celsius in the Ridge area, 4.9 degrees Celsius below normal, making it the coldest place in the capital. The Aya Nagar weather station recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius — 4.5 notches below normal.

Dense to very dense fog prevailed in some parts of the National Capital Region, Haryana, Punjab, west Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan. Foggy conditions will persist in these areas over the next few days, the IMD said.

According to the IMD, “very dense” fog is when visibility is between 0 and 50 metres, 51 and 200 metres is “dense”, 201 and 500 “moderate”, and 501 and 1,000 “shallow”.

In the plains, the IMD declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius. A cold wave is also declared when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches below normal.

A “severe” cold wave is when the minimum temperature dips to two degrees Celsius or the departure from normal is more than 6.4 degrees Celsius.

— Cold Conditions Intensify Across Kashmir, Below Freezing Point Temp in Many Places, Interiors of Dal Lake Frozen

Cold conditions intensified in Kashmir as the minimum temperature dipped several degrees below the freezing point and many places experienced the season’s coldest night, officials said Sunday. The valley experienced a dry but colder Christmas this year, the MeT office said, adding that there, however, is a possibility of a wet spell next week.

The minimum temperature on Saturday night went several degrees below the freezing point and was below normal across the valley except in Gulmarg, the officials said.

The intense cold conditions led to freezing of water supply lines in many areas as well as the freezing of the interiors of the Dal Lake, they said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius — down from minus 5.4 degrees Celsius Thursday night, the officials said. The city experienced its coldest night so far this season, they added.

The officials said Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 7 degrees Celsius, down from minus 6.4 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature at the resort was the lowest so far this season. The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius.