Delhi woke up to another cold morning on Thursday as the mercury dropped to 3.4°C. The India Meteorological Department predicted that it will be slightly foggy throughout the day. According to weather experts, there will be no rain and the cold wave will continue till Saturday.
On Wednesday, the city’s minimum temperature was 4.2°C, three notches below normal. As many as 11 trains were cancelled while 26 were delayed by several hours and seven trains had to be rescheduled, reported NDTV. Flight operations, however, continued to be normal.
Most regions of north India are experiencing a cooler winter than usual because of a cold wave. The Centre had issued a warning on Monday, saying that the minimum temperatures are likely to be 2°C - 4°C between January 10 and January 13. “Dry northwesterly cold winds at lower and middle levels are very likely to prevail over the plains of northwest India,” the advisory said, adding that Punjab, Haryana and northern parts of Rajasthan will be hit by the cold wave.
At least 10 people have died in Himachal Pradesh, where Shimla recorded the season’s lowest temperature of -3.2°C while Manali was at -6.6°C on Wednesday. Authorities have advised people to remain alert as avalanches are common in the region during this time of the year.
The frigid conditions have affected the normal life in Shimla. On Wednesday, residents in several parts of the district had to do without water as supply was hit because of power failure and a majority of pipes were frozen, reported The Hindu. Residents of tribal areas such as Pangi in Chamba and the Lahaul-Spiti district have been demanding helicopter services, as roads remained closed for the fifth day on Wednesday.
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