Cold wave conditions continued unabated across north India despite marginal rise in mercury. (AFP photo)
Cold wave conditions continued unabated across north India despite marginal rise in mercury in several places with Kullu-Manali region of Himachal Pradesh remaining without power and water supply for seventh day in a row today.
Although mercury rose marginally in Leh and Kargil, and several areas of Rajasthan, there was no respite from cold conditions prevailing in the region. Dense fog in vast areas of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh also added to the woes.
Cold wave coupled with overcast conditions gave Delhiites no respite from the winter chill with the minimum temperature settling at 7.4 degrees Celsius, one notch below the season's average. The maximum settled six notches below normal at 16.4 degrees Celsius.
Early in the morning, several parts of the capital were enveloped in dense fog affecting movement of road and rail traffics due to low visibility.
Most parts of Himachal Pradesh groaned under arctic conditions as intense cold wave continued unabated in the region despite marginal rise in mercury. Normal life remained crippled in Kullu-Manali region as water and electricity supply and other services could not be restored for the seventh day today.
There was also slight respite from intense cold conditions as mercury rose at most places in Rajasthan, though Mount Abu on the hills was still the coldest in the state with a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius.
According to a MeT report, mercury has risen by one to four degrees Celsius at most places in north-west of Rajasthan in the past 24 hours. Mount Abu shivered under intense cold at 3 degrees Celsius last night.
On the plains, Udaipur recorded a minimum of 5 degrees Celsius, about 2 degrees more than the previous night. Jaipur's minimum temperature too registered upward trend with the mercury touching 7.4 degrees Celsius.
Added to this, heavy fog delayed arrival of several trains and affected vehicular traffic.
Meanwhile, cold conditions continued in Punjab and Haryana where heavy blanket of fog affected movement of vehicles at several places.
With minimum temperatures plummeting by a few notches below normal, thick blanket of fog engulfed the region, which resulted in low visibility at many places, a MeT report said.
Narnaul in Haryana was the coldest place in the region as it recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees, three notches below normal.
In Punjab, Amritsar's low settled at 3.6 degrees Celsius while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded a minimum temperature of 7.8 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Chandigarh's low settled at 7.8 degrees Celsius.
Dense fog also engulfed several places of Uttar Pradesh disrupting air, train and vehicular traffic even as Kanpur recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 4.2 degrees.
According to MeT office, night temperatures fell in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kanpur divisions and changed a little in the remaining divisions of the state.