Chill returns in north; avalanche kills 4 soldiers in Ladkah

Fog and overcast conditions returned to North India today adding to the chill after a week-long relatively warm weather, delaying several trains in the region.
Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir four soldiers were killed in Ladakh when their patrol party was hit by a massive avalanche.
"Four jawans of 3 Ladakh Scouts were killed when their patrol party was hit by a snow avalanche at the Southern Glacier inLadkah at 4:30 PM yesterday", Udhampur based Defence Spokesman Col S D Goswami told PTI.
Soon after the avalanche, a rescue operation was launched but the lives of four soldiers could not be saved.

However, overcast conditions prevailed in the national capital with the minimum temperature settling at 8 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal for this time of the season.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 23.2 degrees Celsius, four notches above the season's average, a MeT Department official said.

The humidity levels oscillated between 97 and 53 per cent.
Foggy conditions were witnessed in the several parts of the city which affected the visibility in the morning.
The weatherman has predicted overcast conditions for tomorrow as well across Delhi.
Srinagar city witnessed the season's first major snowfall along with the rest of Kashmir, bringing respite from the prevailing chill as the mercury settled above the freezing point in most places of the Valley for the first time in the last fortnight.

The plains of the Valley also received light snowfall accompanied by rains.
The snowfall in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir began in the morning and it received 2.8 mm of rainfall during the night, the MeT official said, adding the minimum temperature here went up by nearly five degrees to settle above the freezing point at 2.2 degrees Celsius.
While Gulmarg- the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir,
received over seven inches of fresh snowfall till 8:30 AM this morning, more than one inch of snow was recorded in the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south, he added.
However, the twin resorts were the only places in the Valley where the mercury stayed below the freezing point, he said.

The mercury in Pahalgam went up by six notches to settle at minus 0.4 degree Celsius, and Gulmarg registered a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius, he added.
Leh, in the frontier region of Ladakh, recorded a low of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius- an increase of nearly five degrees from the previous night's minus 12.6 degrees Celsius.
Nearby Kargil town was recorded as the coldest place in the state with a low of minus 9 degrees Celsius.
The town had registered a low of minus 15 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The MeT Department has said the higher reaches of the Valley would receive moderate snowfall over the two days while light snowfall would be experienced in the plains.

Kashmir valley is currently under the grip of Chillai Kalan- the 40 day harsh winter period which began on December 21 and during which the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
Mercury dipped in parts of Rajasthan with cold winds reviving in north-eastern regions of the state as Sikar was reported the coldest place at 5 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius in Sikar was recorded last night.
Meanwhile, due to fog in the neighbouring state of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, ten trains of North Western Railways were running late, and one train's time was rescheduled, its CPRO Tarun Jain said.

Jammu Tawai-Ajmer train is running 7 hours late, while Sealdah-Ajmer 6 hrs 15 mins , Guwahati-Barmer 6 hrs 10 mins, and Howarah-Sriganganagar 5 hrs 50 mins. Ajmer-Jammu Tawai train is rescheduled today to avoid delay, he said.
Churu recorded minimum temperature of 7 degree Celsius followed by Sriganganagar 8, Tonk 8.8, Sawaimadhopur 9, Pilani 9.1, Udaipur 9.8, Jaipur 10, Kota 12.8 and Jaisalmer 14 degree Celsius.