North India shivers on New Year’s day as mercury drops | India News

NEW DELHI: North India is feeling the winter chill as temperatures drop on New Year’s Day, with temperatures continuing to plummet in several states. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, with a thin layer of fog covering parts of the national capital. On Tuesday, the city recorded a temperature of 10.2 degrees Celsius at 8:30 am.
The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has set up 235 pagoda tents to provide shelter to homeless people. Night shelters have been set up in several areas of the national capital, including AIIMS, Lodhi Road and Nizamuddin flyover.
In response to the cold weather, residents of the capital were seen gathering around bonfires, while others took shelter in overnight houses as temperatures continued to drop.
The cold has also intensified in Rajasthan, severely affecting daily life. In Jaipur, the temperature was recorded at 7.2 degrees Celsius at 8:30 am, while Bikaner and Churu recorded temperatures of 7 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius, respectively, according to the IMD.
In Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, a blanket of fog envelops the city as the temperature drops. In Meerut the temperature was recorded at 9 degrees Celsius, in Lucknow at 10 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD.
Cold conditions persisted in Jammu and Kashmir with temperatures falling below zero in many areas. The cold has caused the surface of Dal Lake to remain frozen. At 8:30 am, Srinagar recorded temperature of -1.5 degree Celsius, -2.4 degree Celsius in Gulmarg, -6 degree Celsius in Pahalgam, 0.4 degree Celsius in Banihal and 0.4 degree Celsius in Kupwara , according to IMD.
Despite the biting cold, people across the country flocked to temples and churches to celebrate the New Year. Be it Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ayodhya, Haridwar, Mathura, Varanasi, Ajmer, Tirupati or Guwahati, worshipers gathered at iconic religious sites. In Delhi, despite the bad weather, people began their day with morning prayers and ‘aarti’ at the famous Pracheen Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place, while similar scenes unfolded at the Jhandewalan temple.