NEW DELHI: Cold wave tightened its grip over parts of the country today, with the picturesque Daringbadi in Odisha recording a low of 4 degrees Celsius and Kashmir Valley bracing up for ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the harshest winter period.
The national capital saw a rise in the minimum temperature, but chilly winds made it a cold day for Delhiites.
The city recorded a minimum of 11.6 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season’s average while the maximum temperature settled at 24.6 degrees, a MeT department official said.
According to a senior Railway official, 40 trains were running behind schedule, while 13 were rescheduled due to bad weather conditions.
The mercury dropped to 4 degrees Celsius at Daringbadi in Kandhamal district of Odisha, making it the coldest place in the State and disrupting normal life.
Reports of fish and birds being found dead due to intense cold were received from the high-altitude areas of the eastern state.
The minimum temperatures stayed few notches above normal in most parts of Punjab and Haryana. Union Territory of Chandigarh registered a minimum at 8.1 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the Haryana Government declared 15 days winter vacation starting from December 25 to January 8, 2017 for all schools, an official spokesman said.
Cold wave tightened its grip over Kashmir Valley ahead of the onset of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ – the 40-day harshest winter period – with the summer capital Srinagar and Leh town recording the coldest night of the season.
Chillai-Kalan, considered the harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum, will begin tomorrow. (AGENCIES)
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