Page 166 - Weather

Heavy fog, icy cold weather hit normal life in Haryana, Punjab

Bitterly cold conditions swept across Punjab and Haryana even as air, road and rail travellers faced cancellations, suspended services and delays with heavy fog shrouding the region today. Temperatures dropped further as icy winds battered the two states. A piercing cold wave continued to grip Narnaul in Haryana and Bathinda in Punjab. The mercury at the two places settled at 1.5 degrees and 2.8 degrees Celsius, a MeT department official said. Visibility dropped below the 50-metre mark at many places. Chandigarh was enveloped by thick fog in the morning. Icy winds forced a large number of city residents to remain indoors as the minimum temperature dropped to 5.2 degrees Celsius. Officials said fog delayed a number of trains passing through Punjab and Haryana. Flight operations were also hit. Hisar in Haryana shuddered at 3 degrees Celsius. Sirsa braved the cold at 4.4 degrees Celsius. Karnal recorded a low of 5.5 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 5 degrees and Bhiwani 5.6 degrees

Frigid in Kashmir Valley; Kargil freezes at -20 deg C

Normal life crawled at -20 degrees Celsius in Kargil in the cold desert of Ladakh even as temperatures remained several degrees below the freezing point elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley. Light rain or snow at isolated places over the next 48 hours may add to the discomfiture, the weatherman said. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, had a low of -3.9 degrees Celsius, a MET department official said. The mercury in Qazigund in south Kashmir settled at a low of -4.4 degrees Celsius. The nearby town of Kokernag recorded a low of -2.5 degrees Celsius. Kupwara in north Kashmir quivered at -3.6 degrees Celsius. The world famous ski resort of Gulmarg reeled under freezing -6 degrees Celsius. The night temperature in Pahalgam, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, had a minimum of -4.5 degrees Celsius. Kargil town in the Ladakh region was the coldest place in J&K at -20 degrees Celsius. Life moved at a snail's pace in nearby Leh

Fog hits flight, train services

A blanket of dense fog enveloped the national capital today, delaying 14 flights and 60 trains. "The minimum temperature recorded at 8.30 AM was 5 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal while the humidity was recorded at 100 per cent," a MeT official said. The visibility was recorded at 300 meters at 5.30 AM which improved to 500 meters at 8.30 AM. The weatherman has predicted a clear afternoon with the possibility of maximum temperature settling around 19 degrees Celsius. Airport officials said 14 flights were delayed due to fog. According to a Railway official, 60 trains were running late due to fog, 18 trains had to be rescheduled and 14 cancelled. Yesterday, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 18.4 and 7.4 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Dense fog disrupts train, flight operations in Delhi

It was a cold morning with a shroud of dense fog covering the city on Thursday. Visibility stood at 50 metres disrupting train and flight operations.

Dry spell making apple growers anxious in Himachal

Severe cold conditions have aggravated the trouble for people in Himachal Pradesh as the minimum temperature neared the freezing point in the plains, but an extended dry spell has led to anxiety among apple growers. The high-altitude areas and mountain passes shivered as the mercury stayed 15 to 22 degrees below the freezing point. Keylong and Kalpa in tribal areas and key tourist resort of Manali recorded a low of -10.6C, -3.6C and -2.4C. Bhuntar groaned as the mercury touched the freezing point and Sundernagar and Solan recorded minimum temperatures of0.8C and 1.0C, followed by Palampur 3.0C, Una 3.2C, Shimla 3.3C, Dharamsala 5.8C and Nahan 6.1C. But the continuing dry weather in absence of snowfall was making farmers anxious as apple crops require rain and snow during the month of December and January for a good harvest. The local Met office has predicted rain or snowfall at isolated places in mid and higher hills tomorrow. The dry weather in the plains is likely to ...

Uttar Pradesh under grip of bone-chilling weather

The plains of Uttar Pradesh continued to reel under cold wave conditions with overcast skies and fog hampering normal life. Bone-chilling winds swept the state following recent snowfall in Uttarakhand and most parts recorded a fall in day temperatures, a senior MeT official said. The state capital witnessed yet another cold day with the minimum temperature at 7.3 degrees Celsius while Fursatganj with 4.5 degrees Celsius and Bahraich with 4.6 degrees Celsius were among the coldest places in the state. The MeT office forecast that cold conditions as well as dense to very dense fog are very likely at isolated places. Keeping in view the intense cold, the Lucknow district administration has ordered closure of the schools up to class XII till tomorrow. Fog and severe cold have also hit the movement of vehicular and railway traffic with several trains running behind schedule leaving the passengers stranded at stations and bus stops.

Mercury dips to 7.4 deg C in Delhi

Cold conditions continued in the national capital which recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4 degrees Celsius, while fog during the morning hours led to disruption of flight and train services. The visibility was recorded at 500 metres at 5.30 AM which improved to 800 metres at 8.30 AM. It improved significantly as the day progressed, a Meteorological Department official said. The minimum temperature was recorded at 7.4 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year, while the maximum temperature settled at 18.4 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average. Relative humidity oscillated between 100 and 52 per cent. The weatherman has forecast moderate fog in the morning for tomorrow. "Maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 20 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius tomorrow," the MeT department said. Yesterday, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 17.7 and 8.4 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Cold conditions refuse to subside; flight, train services hit

Cold wave conditions refused to abate in northern and eastern India, including in the desert state of Rajasthan where the mercury dipped to -1.4C in Mount Abu, as dense fog in Delhi affected flight and rail services. A total of 24 domestic flights and 12 international flights were delayed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi due to fog. Two domestic flights were cancelled. More than 500 flights, both domestic and international, flying in and out of the IGI Airport have been hit since Sunday, when the city witnessed the worst fog of this season. Poor visibility due to fog also disrupted train services. A total of 21 trains were cancelled and 59 delayed due to fog. Thirteen trains were also rescheduled, officials said. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.4C. Dense fog covered northern and eastern plains, including Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and parts of Odisha. The northerly cold winds swept through Rajasthan. The mercury dipped to -1.4C in .

Himachal shivers as mercury stays below freezing point

Hills of Himachal Pradesh witnessed a sunny but chilly day on Wednesday with temperatures in many areas staying below freezing point.

Cold conditions to return in Odisha

After a slight relief on New Year's Day, cold conditions are set to return to Odisha in the next two days, the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar said today. According to the Meteorological Centre, cold wave conditions will continue in many parts of the state during the next two days. "Moderate cold wave condition likely to prevail over some parts of interior Odisha during next 48 hours," a bulletin issued by the IMD said. The mercury level is likely to remain below 10 degree Celsius in the interior parts of the state while the minimum temperature in the coastal region would hover between 10 deg C and 13 deg C, a senior meteorologist said. Cold wave conditions will prevail in Odisha in the next two-three days due to the wind blowing from the northeast direction at a speed of 25 kilometres per hour, said S C Sahu, the director of IMD, Bhubaneswar. Phulbani was the coldest place in Odisha yesterday night with the minimum temperature at 5 deg C while the minimum ...

Northerly cold winds sweep Rajasthan, Mt Abu coldest

Northerly cold winds swept across Rajasthan where the mercury dipped to -1.4 degrees Celsius in Mount Abu, the sole hill station of the desert state. In plains, Sikar was recorded as the coldest place recording a minimum of 0 degrees Celsius, followed by Bhilwara which registered night temperature of 0.9 degrees Celsius. Normal life was out of gear in other parts of the state also where the night temperature was below 10 degrees Celsius. Sriganganagar, Pilani and Churu shivered at 1.7 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius, respectively while the mercury in Alwar, Chittorgarh, Dabok, Vanasthali plummeted to 2.2 degrees Celsius, 2.5 degrees Celsius, 3.8 degrees Celsius and 3.9 degrees Celsius. Ajmer, Jaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Barmer also recorded minimum temperatures of 5 degrees Celsius, 6.1 degrees Celsius, 7.5 degrees Celsius, 7.7 degrees Celsius, 9.4 degrees Celsius and 10.1 degrees Celsius respectively. Cold waves conditions were in Ajmer, .

Severe cold sweeps Pb & Hry, Narnaul coldest at 2.5 deg C

Severe cold wave swept most places in Haryana and Punjab today, even as a thick blanket of fog affected normal life. While the minimum temperature hovered between 5-7 degrees Celsius at most places, the day temperature, too, plummeted sharply. Narnaul in Haryana was the coldest place in the two states recording a minimum of 2.5 degrees Celsius, a Meteorological Department official said here. Hisar at 5.6 degrees Celsius, Bhiwani 5.8 degrees Celsius, Karnal at 7 degrees Celsius, Rohtak at 7.7 degrees Celsius and Ambala at 8 degrees Celsius also experienced a cold night. Chandigarh registered a low of 7 degrees Celsius. In Punjab, Amritsar, Halwara and Bathinda recorded identical minimum temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius each. Ludhiana recorded a low of 6.7 degrees Celsius while Patiala's minimum settled at 7 degrees Celsius. Pathankot registered a minimum temperature of 7.3 degrees Celsius, while Faridkot's minimum settled at 6.5 degrees Celsius Gurdaspur, too, reeled ...

Misty morning in Delhi; train operations disrupted

Delhiites woke up to a misty morning today with a thick blanket of fog enveloping the national capital, forcing cancellation of 21 trains and delaying 59. The minimum temperature settled at 7.4 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. The visibility was recorded at 500 meters at 5.30 AM which improved to 800 meters at 8.30 AM, a Meteorological Department official said. The humidity was recorded at 92 per cent at 8.30 AM. The Met office has forecast clear skies for the day. "The maximum temperature is likely to hover at 18 degrees Celsius," the weatherman said. Yesterday, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 17.7 and 8.4 degrees Celsius respectively.

Foggy Wednesday morning, 21 trains cancelled

It was a foggy Wednesday morning here with the minimum temperature recorded at 7.4 degrees Celsius, normal for the season's average. Visibility stood at 800 metres.

Kargil slips into deep freeze at minus 20.6

Kargil in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday recorded a bone chilling minimum of minus 20.6 degrees Celsius. The intense cold wave will continue, the Met said.

Delhi records min temp of 8.4 deg C; fog hits flight, train

Cold conditions prevailed in the national capital which recorded a minimum temperature of 8.4 degrees Celsius, while dense fog led to disruption of flight and train schedule. Six flights and 21 trains were cancelled, while over 60 flights and 64 trains were delayed in view of thick fog. According to the India Meteorological Department, general visibility was recorded at 800 meters at 5.30 AM, which reduced to 300 meters at 8.30 AM. It improved to 800 meters at 11.30 and further to 1,000 meters at 2.30 PM, an MeT department official said. The minimum temperature was recorded at 8.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average, while the maximum temperature settled at 17.7 degrees Celsius, the lowest of the season so far, the official said. Relative humidity oscillated between 97 and 65 per cent. The weatherman has forecast clear skies along with dense fog in the morning and mist during the day tomorrow. "Maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around ..

North India shivers under cold condition

Intense cold waves swept through the northern belt with the mercury going several degrees below freezing point in Kashmir, and a thick blanket of fog enveloping Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh today. An elderly man died of cold conditions in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh. In the national capital, dense fog led to cancellation of six flights and 21 trains. The minimum temperature was recorded at 8.4 degrees Celsius, while the maximum settled at 17.7 degrees, lowest of the season recorded so far. The visibility in the city was recorded at 800 meters at 5.30 AM, which reduced to 300 meters at 8.30 AM. It improved to 800 meters at 11.30 am and further to 1,000 meters at 2.30 pm, a MeT official said. Kashmir reeled under extreme cold conditions as the mercury stayed several degrees below the freezing point. In Srinagar, the mercury showed a marginal upward movement to settle at minus 4.3 degrees Celsius, the official said. Leh in Ladakh region was the coldest in Jammu and

Patna experiences coldest day

Patna today experienced the coldest day of the season registering a minimum temperature of 7.1 degree Celsius, the Met office here said. The chilly weather conditions is likely to become harsher as the Met department forecast "cold wave conditions" at isolated places in Bihar on January 4 and 5. While Patna recorded the minimum temperature at 7.1 degree C, its maximum temperature was 16.5 degree C, 5.1 notches below the normal temperature. The state's lowest minimum temperature was recorded at 6.4 degree C at Chapra in Saran district. Gaya recorded minimum temperature of 8.8 degree C, while Bhagalpur and Purnea registered 7.3 and 9.9 degree C minimum temperature respectively, Met office said. Patna, which has been witnessing dense to very dense fog for the past five-six days, witnessed bright sun shine after 1 pm today. In its forecast, it said Patna and Purnea are expected to witness cold day tomorrow.

Cold wave continues in HP, snowfall in high-altitude areas

Cold wave conditions continued unabated in most parts of Himachal Pradesh with high-altitude areas in the state witnessing a fresh spell of snowfall. Rohtang, Pangi, Drass, Koksar and Bharmaur received 8 cm, 6 cm, 5 cm, 4 cm and 3 cm of snow respectively while rains occurred at some isolated places the mid-hills. The mercury in high-altitude tribal areas hovered around minus 14 to minus 20 degrees Celsius while Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti recording a low of minus 11.4 degrees Celsius. Kalpa and Manali shivered at minimum temperatures of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius and minus 3.2 degrees Celsius. Bhuntar recorded a low of 0.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Sundernagar 1.1 degrees Celsius, Solan 1.7 degrees Celsius, Shimla 2.8 degrees Celsius, Palampur 3 degrees Celsius, Una 4 degrees Celsius, Nahan 5.6 degrees Celsius and Dharamsala 5.8 degrees Celsius. Maximum temperatures rose marginally and Una recorded a high at 23 degrees Celsius, followed by Sundernagar 20.4 degrees ...

Moradabad coldest in UP

Moradabad was the coldest recorded city in Uttar Pradesh as dry weather continued its spell in the state that witnessed moderate to dense fog at several places today. According to the meteorological department, day temperatures fell in Varanasi, Allahabad, Lucknow, Bareilly, Agra and Meerut, while mercury took a plunge during the night in Gorakhpur in eastern UP. The lowest minimum temperature of 5.7 degrees Celsius was recorded at Moradabad, the office said. The maximum temperatures recorded at Allahabad was 16.4 degrees Celsius, while Bareilly registered 15.4, Gorakhpur 16.4, Kanpur 16.6 and state capital Lucknow 15.1. The minimum temperatures recorded at Allahabad was 8.6 degrees Celsius, while Bareilly registered 8, Gorakhpur 6.2, Kanpur 7.6 and Lucknow 9.4. Cold day conditions are very likely at isolated places tomorrow, while shallow to moderate fog is very likely at few places over the state on January 4 and January 5, the weather office said.