Large tracts of northern India experienced severe cold day conditions on Thursday as maximum temperatures remained in the range of 12-18 degrees Celsius, several notches below the normal for the season.
The weather office said persistent low cloud cover and absence of sunlight over the region led to the maximum temperatures in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and north Madhya Pradesh dropping to below normal, in the range of 2-6 degrees Celsius.
According to the India Meteorological Department, a cold day is declared if the maximum temperature dips between 4.5-6.4 degrees below the normal for the season.
A Severe cold day is declared if temperatures are 6.5 degrees below normal for the season.
In the national capital, mercury touched a maximum of 12.5 degrees Celsius -- 6.8 degrees below normal -- at the Safdarjung observatory.
Hissar in Haryana recorded 12 degrees Celsius, which was 6.8 degrees below normal for the season, while Patiala in Punjab clocked 10.5 degrees Celsius, a departure of 8.1 degrees from normal.
Kota in Rajasthan shivered at 14.1 degrees Celsius, which was 8 notches below normal for the season, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh recorded a maximum of 16.7 degrees Celsius which was 7.3 degrees below normal.
The minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to rise by 2-4 degrees Sunday onwards under the influence of warm and moist southwesterly winds, the weather office said.
Parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, southern Haryana and southern Uttar Pradesh are expected to get light to very light rainfall early next week.
The weather department has also forecast dense to very dense fog in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, and north Rajasthan.
At least 26 Delhi-bound trains were delayed on Thursday due to low visibility conditions.
Flight operations too were impacted with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar forced to cancel his programme in the Jammu city as the aircraft which was ferrying him could not land at the Jammu airport.
The Vice President's aircraft was diverted to Pathankot from where he travelled by road to Jammu district's Kathua, adjoining the Punjab border, to inaugurate the Biotech Startup Expo.