The cold spell in Rajasthan is set to intensify from Sunday, with night temperatures likely to drop to around 4 degrees Celsius in parts of the state, Radheshyam Sharma, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Jaipur, said on Friday.
The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for very dense fog in several districts, including Bharatpur, Dausa, Deeg, Dholpur, Jhunjhunu, Karauli, Khairthal-Tijara, Kotputli-Behror, Sawai Madhopur, Sikar, Churu, Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar, warning of sharply reduced visibility.
Severe cold conditions have prompted the closure of Anganwadi centres in Sri Ganganagar until January 10, with district authorities declaring holidays for the period from January 2.
On Friday morning, visibility dropped to around 50 metres in districts such as Jaipur, Bharatpur, Sikar and Dausa, disrupting road and air travel. IndiGo Airlines issued an advisory for passengers travelling to and from Jaisalmer and Udaipur, citing possible delays.
Most cities recorded minimum temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius on Thursday, though Sirohi reported the lowest at 7.2 degrees. Sri Ganganagar logged the lowest maximum temperature of the season, while Jaipur, Alwar, Bikaner and Churu remained below 20 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms was recorded over the past 24 hours in parts of the Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Jaipur and Bharatpur divisions under the influence of a western disturbance. The highest rainfall of 26 mm was reported from Shri Dungargarh in Bikaner district. Agricultural experts said the winter rain would benefit standing rabi crops.
The weather department warned that cold wave conditions and dense fog are likely to persist over northern and eastern Rajasthan in the coming days.
–IANS
