Fog, poor visibility hit rail traffic in north

A day after the national capital received its first spell of winter rain, there was a slight nip in the air on Sunday though the temperatures settled above normal for this time of the season.

The minimum temperature was 11.6 degrees Celsius, five notches above the normal. The maximum temperature was 20.2 degrees Celsius, a degree above normal, according to the weather department.

However, poor visibility led to the delay of 48 Delhi-bound trains, rescheduling of 32 and cancellation of six others.

A medium-danger warning was issued on Sunday for some avalanche-prone districts of Himachal Pradesh and people have been advised not to venture into such areas.

A similar warning has also been issued for areas in Chamba, Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Parts of Rajasthan witnessed dense fog, which reduced visibility up to 50 metres, affecting the rail traffic.

Mount Abu was the coldest place in the state at 1.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Sriganganagar, recording 6.5 degrees Celsius.

In most parts of Punjab and Haryana, minimum temperatures hovered above normal. Common capital Chandigarh recorded its minimum at 8 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal.

In Srinagar

With an improvement in weather conditions, flight operations resumed at the Srinagar airport on Sunday, much to the relief of hundreds of stranded passengers.

“The afternoon flights operated on schedule today (Sunday). However, some morning flights had to be cancelled due to poor visibility,” an official at the airport said.

However, the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting the Valley with the rest of the country, continued to remain closed for vehicular traffic for the third consecutive day.

It’s snowing in Mahabaleshwar!
The hill station of Mahabaleshwar in Satara district was in for a surprise on Sunday as it witnessed snow on the Venna Lake, even as mercury levels dipped in Maharashtra. Locals recorded the temperature at the lake and neighbouring areas between six and 10 degrees Celsius, DHNS reports from Mumbai.

A thin blanket of ice was also seen in some peaks and valleys between the twin hill stations of Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. Such a phenomenon was witnessed only for the third time in Mahabaleshwar, the earlier two being on January 8, 2013, and January 28, 2008.