Cold wave grips north India

Cold WaveNew Delhi/Chandigarh, Jan 3 : A cold wave swept through North India on Saturday with temperatures plummeting and fog disrupting transport in New Delhi and Chandigarh.

New Delhi was gripped by dipping temperatures coupled with dense fog, making life difficult for people.

The minimum temperature fell to 4 degrees Celsius on Friday, one of the coldest winter mornings of the season.

Mukhesh Kumar Dixit, a rickshaw puller, who woke up at around 5:00 in the morning, was unable to bear the winter chill. He said his hands were freezing and that he would not be able to work in such weather.

"It''s very cold, I don''t know what to do. I cannot even work and my hands are freezing, I don''t know how I will earn my bread and butter," said Dixit.

A thick fog has enveloped the entire city and people are huddled around small fires lighted around street corners to warm themselves.

Flights and trains were delayed or cancelled on the third day of the New Year also.

"Flight is delayed due to foggy conditions here. We are waiting for the flight to Goa," said Anant Kumar Sharma, an air passenger.

Thirty-one domestic and international flights were delayed and 19 were cancelled and three diverted to Mumbai.

About 19 early morning flights for Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, Bikaner, Ludhiana, Udaipur, Rajkot and Ahmedabad were cancelled as the general visibility dropped to below 50 metres and the runaway visibility range dipped to 100 metres in the wee hours, airport sources said.

Some of the international flights, which generally operate during the night from in New Delhi, also got delayed due to the fog. Three international flights were diverted to Mumbai.

About 13 flights, mostly of Air India and Indigo, took off for their destinations in CAT-IIIB conditions.

The traffic on the roads was also thin during morning hours as the general visibility dropped. Vehicles moved at a slow pace.

Temperature has plummeted in almost entire north India. The Meteorological Department has predicted that the cold wave conditions are likely to persist for the next couple of days.

In Chandigarh, residents were seen enjoying the winter chill and the foggy weather.

Many went out for a morning walk or a jog. Others were seen exercising and doing yoga in the fog.

"I enjoy this season too much. I feel once in a year we get this sort of fog," said Kuldip Singh, a resident.

North India usually witnesses early morning fog every winter when night temperatures often dip below five degrees Celsius. (ANI)

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