Page 54 - Weather

Thick fog engulfs Delhi, 13 trains delayed

As many as 13 trains coming into Delhi were delayed on Saturday as dense fog blanketed the national capital and its neighbouring regions.With a cold wave gripping the region, a large number of people were seen taking refuge at night shelters in various parts of the national capital to shield themselves from chilly winds.The maximum temperature in the national capital is likely to be around 22 degrees Celsius, while the minimum may touch 9 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).The thick fog was coupled with poor air quality, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital at 309 till 8.00 am, which falls in the 'very poor' category.According to data provided by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), major pollutants PM 2.5 was at 131 and PM 10 was at 202, in 'very poor' and 'moderate' categories, respectively. In Lodhi Road area, PM 2.5 was at 234 while PM 10 was at 230, both of which fall in the 'poor'

US thaws from Arctic deep freeze as death toll climbs

A brutal cold spell that paralysed the US Midwest, freezing water mains, causing power outages and cancelling flights, eased on Friday, with forecasts predicting a rapid thaw. The two days of intense cold from the so-called polar vortex that descended on the US Midwest and Northeast will go down in memory for its scenes of winter at its most bitter. Blocks of ice floated down the river that runs through downtown Chicago, the rushing waters of the Niagara Falls were frozen in some places, and half the Great Lakes were covered in ice. US media reported as many as 21 weather-related deaths since a snow storm hit the Midwest early in the week, followed by plunging temperatures Wednesday and Thursday. Temperature readings were nosing up on Friday and "will continue to moderate," the National Weather Service said. The concern, though, turned to the threat of flooding and further stress on already strained infrastructure as the region thawed out. "In some areas of the Midwest, the coming ...

Slight relief from cold wave in Punjab, Haryana as min temp rises

In a slight relief to the people from the ongoing cold wave conditions, the minimum temperature rose by a few notches at most places in Punjab and Haryana, the meteorological department said Friday. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 9.4 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal limits, the MeT officials said. In Punjab, Pathankot recorded a low of 10.2 degrees Celsius, up three notches against normal limits, while Amritsar, too, recorded above normal minimum at 7.4 degrees Celsius. Ludhiana registered a low of 8.8 degrees Celsius, up three degrees, Patiala's minimum settled at 7.8 degrees Celsius, up one notch against normal, while Adampur recorded a low of 8.7 degrees Celsius, the officials said. Halwara recorded a minimum temperature of 8.5 degrees Celsius, they said. However, Bathinda and Gurdaspur's minimums hovered below normal at 5.3 degrees Celsius and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively, they added. In Haryana, Ambala recorded a low of 10.9 ...

21 killed as Polar Vortex freezes US Midwest

At least 21 people were killed as a Polar Vortex continued to freeze the US Midwest, dipping temperatures to record lows in the region, the media reported.

Fresh snowfall, rain in HP; cold wave intensifies

Cold wave conditions intensified in Himachal Pradesh as fresh snowfall and rain in parts of the state caused the minimum temperature to dip further on Friday. Tourist spots Dalhousie (45 cm), Kufri (10 cm) and Manali (2 cm) received snowfall from 5.30 pm on Thursday to 8.30 am on Friday, the Meteorological Centre, Shimla said. Bharmour (60 cm), Pooh (17 cm), Keylong (11 cm), Salooni and Kalpa (10 cm each) also received snowfall during the period, it said. Besides, several other areas, including Shimla, Chamba, Palampur and Manali, received rainfall ranging from 2 mm to 31.6 mm during the period, the MeT centre added. The sky in most parts of the state remained overcast. The minimum temperature was recorded below the freezing point in Kufri (minus 3.6 degrees Celsius), Dalhousie (minus 2.5 degrees Celsius) and Manali (minus 1 degree Celsius). Keylong continued to be the coldest place in the state at minus 11 degrees Celsius, followed by Kalpa, which recorded a minimum temperature of ...

Himachal gets more snow

Himachal Pradesh's popular tourist destinations Kufri, Manali and Dalhousie received more snowfall, pushing down the temperatures by several notches on Friday.

Foggy morning in Delhi, rain likely

It was a foggy Friday morning here with the minimum temperature recorded at 11.0 degrees Celsius, three notches above the average, the weather office said, adding the national capital may witness light rains during the day.

Kashmir gets fresh snow

Fresh snowfall occurred in the Kashmir Valley on Friday as the weather office forecast improvement from afternoon onwards.

Cloudy morning in Delhi, very light rain likely

It was a cloudy morning in the national capital on Friday with traces of rain in some parts of the city. The minimum temperature was recorded at 11 degrees Celsius -- three notches above the season's normal, a meteorological department official said. Very light rain, thundershowers may occur with generally cloudy skies during the day. Maximum temperature is expected to hover around 21 degrees Celsius, he said. Relative humidity was 93 percent at 8.30 am. The minimum temperature on Thursday was 8.2 degrees Celsius and the maximum was 21.5 degrees Celsius.

US Midwest gripped by bitter cold but relief ahead

Brutally cold temperatures gripped the US Midwest on Thursday, freezing water mains, causing power outages, cancelling flights and straining natural gas supplies. Tens of millions of Americans shivered for a second day as the mercury dipped to record lows in several states. More than a dozen deaths have been attributed to the sub-zero weather and a weekend snowstorm that blanketed the same region. Many of the cold-related fatalities were in Michigan, where the governor said the death toll was still being confirmed. Schools and businesses remained closed in several midwestern states, people were encouraged to stay home, and travellers were stranded by grounded flights and halted trains. In Michigan and Minnesota, natural gas supplies were under threat. Authorities asked residents to reduce heat consumption wherever possible and decreased heating in government buildings. Water mains froze in Detroit, Chicago and parts of Canada, and power outages were reported in Iowa and ...

8 dead as US cold snap continues

At least eight people have died in the US Midwest as the region shivers in the grip of its worst cold snap in decades, the authorities said.

Cold wave continues in Himachal; Kufri, Manali get fresh snow

Tourist spots Kufri and Manali in Himachal Pradesh witnessed a fresh bout of snowfall even as cold wave tightened its grip across the state Thursday, the meteorological department said. Kufri in Shimla district received 5 cm snowfall, while Manali in Kullu district witnessed 3 cm snowfall from 5.30 pm on Wednesday to 8.30 am on Thursday, said Manmohan Singh, Director MeT centre Shimla. Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district received 6.4 cm snowfall, while Lahaul and Spiti's administrative centre Keylong received 5 cm snowfall and continued to be the coldest place in the state at minus 15 degrees Celsius, he said. The minimum temperature recorded in Kalpa was minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, Singh said. In Dalhousie, which witnessed snowfall on Wednesday, the temperature dropped to minus 0.2 degree Celsius, he said. The state capital received light rain on Wednesday and recorded a low of 3.8 degrees Celsius, he added. The minimum temperature in Kufri was minus 1 degree Celsius, followed by ...

Snowfall, low visibility in Kashmir, Srinagar-Jammu Highway closed, flights cancelled

'Chillai-Kalan', the 40-day harshest period of winter in Kashmir, came to an end on Thursday but intermittent snowfall and low visibility has cut off the valley from rest of the country as Srinagar-Jammu Highway remained closed while no flight has been able to land here so far, officials said. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway has been closed for traffic due to accumulation of snow around Jawahar Tunnel in Qazigund area and landlsides at Anokhi fall in Ramban district, an official of the Traffic Department told PTI here. While traffic was allowed for couple of days on the arterial road earlier this week, frequent landslides and snowfall around the tunnel area has forced closure of the highway for most of the past two weeks. The closure of the road has resulted in shortage of essentials like cooking gas and eatables including vegetables and mutton, local residents claimed. The prices of vegetables and other eatables have risen sharply over the past few days, Farooq Ahmad Bhat, a ...

Polar vortex covers US Midwest in snow

Snow and ice blanketed large parts of the US Midwest due to a Polar Vortex, resulting in extremely low temperatures.

Arctic air sends temperatures well below zero in midwest US

A brutal cold wave has hit the American Midwest, bringing temperatures lower than those in Antarctica, grounding flights, closing schools and businesses - and raising fears of hypothermia. Mail deliveries were suspended and people encouraged to stay home in nearly a dozen US states where the mercury plunged into the negative double digits, the worst freeze to grip the region in a generation. US media attributed at least five deaths since the weekend to the freezing conditions and a major snowstorm that preceded the blast of Arctic air gripping the region. The phenomenon caused surreal scenes throughout the region, such as steam rising off the waters of Lake Michigan, parts of Niagara Falls solidified into frozen stillness, and blocks of ice covering the river winding through downtown Chicago. America's third city was in the direct path of the harsh weather and experienced its second-coldest day ever. Chicago was on track to break new records overnight when temperatures were forecast ..

Tourists cheer snow in Himachal's Manali

Nearby spots of the Himachal Pradesh capital and Manali received an overnight spell of snow on Thursday, bringing cheer to tourists.

Pleasant morning in Delhi, minimum temp settles at 8.2 deg Celsius

Delhiites woke up to a pleasant Thursday morning with the minimum temperature settling at 8.2 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year. Light rains or thunderstorm is forecast for the later part of the day with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 19 degrees Celsius. Humidity was recorded at 85 per cent. The weatherman has forecast generally cloudy sky with the possibility of light rains and strong surface winds on Thursday. On Wednesday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 5.2 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature was recorded at 20.9 degrees Celsius.

Light snow in Kashmir, weather to improve

There was fresh snowfall in the Kashmir Valley and rains in Jammu region on Thursday as the Met forecast improvement from Friday.

Cludy Thursday morning in Delhi, thunderstorm with hail likely

It was a cloudy Thursday morning here with the minimum temperature recorded at 8.2 degrees Celsius, the Met said, adding that the national capital may witness thunderstorm with hail during the day.

Midwest: Temperature plunges below zero, 5 dead

Temperature in the Midwest dropped below zero on Wednesday.According to CNN, the residents of the Midwest states have been warned about the almost instant frostbite due to the temperature. Some state offices have been shut and postal services won't be functional in 10 states.Thousands of flights have been cancelled along with dozens of train services, mostly in and out of Chicago.72 per cent of the US population will witness the temperature drop below freezing over the next few days. A quarter of the US population will experience subzero temperatures at some point between Wednesday and Monday.At least, five deaths have been reported in connection with the extreme weather conditions this week. Authorities have urged people to stay in and keep themselves warmed up as well as to check up on the elderly and vulnerable in what experts are describing as "the coldest air in a generation.