Agra: The city of the Taj Mahal recorded this winter's coldest night with the minimum temperature touching 0.6 degree Celsius in the pre-dawn hours Thursday morning, a Met department official said.
"This was the lowest temperature recorded in the region," the meeteorological department's regional office in Lucknow told IANS Thursday morning. Friday could be slightly warmer, it said.
The district authorities have ordered all schools closed till Monday.
The number of tourists visiting Agra has gone down in the past two days. "But the tempo will pick up at the week-end," said hotelier Sandeep Arora.
The domestic tourists faced chilly winds coming from the Yamuna river at the rear of the Taj Mahal, which many said appeared to have frozen up "standing against a murky foggy ambience."
The markets remained deserted Wednesday evening. As anticipated, the night shelters run by voluntary groups were packed to capacity and people huddled around bonfires the Agra Municipal Corporation lit up all over the city.
Ravi Singh, a farmer of Barauli Aheer block, said: "So far there was nothing to worry. The recent spells of drizzle have helped retain moisture in the soil, so there's no fear of frost damage to the standing mustard and potato crops immediately."