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Severe cold wave and dense fog conditions continue to affect North India, disrupting road, rail, and air transport. Visibility dropped to near zero in several regions, delaying more than 50 trains and multiple flights. Snowfall in hilly states and freezing temperatures in plains intensified the impact.
Severe Cold Wave Grips North India, Transport Services Hit Hard
New Delhi: Amid the intense cold and cold wave, dense fog continues to engulf North India. Extremely dense fog enveloped many areas of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand on Sunday morning. Visibility dropped to zero in many places, severely disrupting normal life. The fog directly impacted road, rail, and air traffic, causing significant inconvenience to residents.
More than 50 trains to and from Delhi were delayed, including major trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi. Air traffic was also affected, and many flights were delayed. Vehicles were seen snaking on the roads. Fog-related road accidents in various parts of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab claimed 17 lives. According to the Meteorological Department, similar conditions are likely to persist for at least the next six days.
Dense to very dense fog was observed in most parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, Delhi, and several areas of Uttar Pradesh during the late night and early morning. Visibility dropped to zero meters in Srinagar, Amritsar, Ambala, Agra Air Force Station, Moradabad, Aligarh, Sarsawa, Hindon Air Force Station, and Barabanki. Meerut recorded 10 meters, Bareilly 20 meters, Aligarh 25 meters, Lucknow 50 meters, and Ayodhya 75 meters.
In Himachal Pradesh, the high peaks of Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, and Kinnaur continued to experience continuous snowfall. Light snowfall was recorded in Kaza, while several districts remained overcast throughout the day. Due to a western disturbance, the weather is forecast to remain poor until January 23rd. Snowfall also blanketed the valleys of Kashmir's high altitude areas-Sonamarg, Gulmarg, and Qazigund-with the valleys covered in a white blanket. Roads like Zojila and Rajdan Pass had to be closed for some time.
Two tourists from Kerala drowned in the frozen Sela Lake in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The accident occurred due to the thin layer of ice, which increased slippery conditions. Despite the combined efforts of rescue teams, the two could not be saved.
Cold day-like conditions prevailed in the plains. Narnaul in Haryana recorded a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius, the lowest in northwest India. Amritsar and Delhi recorded 4.4 degrees Celsius, Ghaziabad 5.5 degrees Celsius, and Barabanki 3.5 degrees Celsius.
