Cold conditions hit normal life in Rajasthan

Extreme cold conditions - with dense fog and icy winds - have thrown normal life out of gear in Rajasthan, officials said Thursday. The lowest night temperature of 0.9 degrees Celsius was recorded in Churu district.

The temperature in state capital Jaipur went down to 7.4 degrees Celsius Wednesday night, the lowest this winter, Met officials told IANS.

Dense fog coupled with icy winds has forced people across the state to stay indoors, especially after sunset.

Thick fog has enveloped many parts of India's large state, with Bharatpur, Dausa and Alwar districts, close to national capital Delhi, covered in a blanket of fog.

A Met department official attributed the cold wave to icy winds from the foothills of the Himalayas.

The conditions would not change over the next few days, he said.

Temperatures were low in more than a dozen places, including Pilani (3.5 degrees Celsius) and Sri Ganganagar (2.5 degrees Celsius), the official said.