Severe cold wave grips North India

Mercury dips to -4.7 Celsius in several parts of Rajasthan

The entire northern belt continued to reel from an intense cold wave yesterday, with several areas of Rajasthan recording temperatures below freezing point.

Shishram Dhaka, the Zonal Director of research at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Fatehpur-Shekhawati said that -4.7 degree Celsius temperature was recorded at Fatehpur-Shekhawati.

As per the data received from the Zonal Director, the temperature recorded on January 15 was -4.7 degrees followed by January 14 recording -3.5 degrees, and January 13 recording 7.5 degrees Celsius.

“People’s life has been affected by the harsh winter. Snow has started accumulating in the fields. We are trying to avoid the cold, people are resorting to bonfires in the morning,” a local resident said. The locals further added that farmers have started worrying about the damage that will be caused to the mustard crop due to the freezing snow, while wheat and other crops are expected to get benefits.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s hill station Mount Abu was covered with a sheet of snow with temperatures dropping to the lowest breaking old records for winter. The temperature was recorded here at -4 degrees Celsius. Four to five inches of thick snow was seen in the area.

Fog in Punjab

As per satellite imagery and available visibility data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a layer of fog extended from Punjab and adjoining northwest Rajasthan to Bihar across Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius around 6.10am.