North faces cold, fog:JK pipelines freeze, 78 trains cancelled

North faces cold, fog:JK pipelines freeze, 78 trains cancelled
North faces cold, fog:JK pipelines freeze, 78 trains cancelled

NEW DELHI: Cold weather and foggy conditions continued in North India today which resulted in freezing of water bodies and pipelines in parts of Jammu and Kashmir and forced railways to order 78 trains off track till January 15.

The national capital experienced its coldest day of the season so far with the mercury dipping to 6.6 degrees Celsius, a notch below average.

“The minimum temperature at Safdarjung observatory, the official for the national capital, was down from yesterday’s low of 7.2 degrees Celsius,” a MeT official said.

Meanwhile, Railways have decided to cancel 78 trains till January 15 in view of dense fog in many parts of north India reducing visibility.

Sealdha Express, North East Express, Begumpura Express, Lucknow Double-Decker Express, Gorakhpur Weekly Express, Jaipur-Chandigarh Express and Mau Express are among 78 trains which will remain cancelled till January 15, said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Also about 34 Delhi-bound trains are running late by several hours today due to bad weather.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Leh in Ladakh region recorded the coldest night of the season as the mercury settled nearly 14 degrees below zero freezing water supply lines and several water bodies in many areas of the Valley.

Leh registered the minimum temperature of minus 13.8 degrees Celsius, a drop of nearly two degrees from the previous night’s, a MET department official there said.

He said this is the lowest night temperature the town has experienced so far this winter and Leh was the coldest recorded place in the State. (AGENCIES)