The cold snap persisted across northern India, with temperatures plunging to sub-zero in Kashmir and hovering near freezing in Haryana and Punjab. Dense fog covered major cities, dramatically reducing visibility on Friday morning. The biting cold affected daily life and operations, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
In Haryana, Bhiwani stood out as the coldest location with a low of 1.5 degrees Celsius, closely followed by Ballowal Saunkhri in Punjab at 0.9 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Rajasthan and Delhi saw slight relief in temperatures, yet endured below-normal readings.
Visibility issues caused by the fog affected the national capital, further exacerbated by worsening air quality. The AQI in Delhi remained in the ‘very poor’ range, prompting authorities to continue enforcing GRAP measures. Schools in Noida closed due to the harsh climate conditions.