No respite from shivering cold, Fatehpur records minus 0.4°C

Jaipur: Large parts of Rajasthan continued to reel under cold wave conditions that have been relentless for the past week, with no major respite on Monday despite a bright sunny day across the state. Fatehpur in Sikar district recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.4°C, the lowest in the state.According to the Jaipur Met office, a marginal rise in both minimum and maximum temperatures is likely from Jan 16, which may bring much-awaited relief from the biting cold.
On Sunday, Fatehpur had recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2°C. Daily life has virtually come to a standstill in the town, with markets opening as late as 12.30pm.Jaipur also experienced a chilly start to the day, with the minimum temperature settling at 7.6°C. This was followed by a bright and sunny afternoon as the maximum temperature touched 22.4°C. With no fog or mist reported, traffic on highways connecting Jaipur to Agra, Delhi and Sikar remained smooth.The Met office attributed the prevailing weather conditions to active northerly winds. Several parts of Shekhawati region continued to remain under grip of severe cold wave conditions, with minimum temperatures plunging below 3°C in many places. After Fatehpur, Lunkaransar recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 0.4°C, followed by Churu at 1.3°C, Sriganganagar at 1.4°C, Pilani and Karauli at 1.5°C, Sikar at 2°C, Nagaur at 2.4°C, Jaisalmer at 2.5°C, Dausa at 2.6°C, Jhunjhunu at 2.7°C, Sirohi at 3.9°C, Mount Abu at 4.2°C, Bikaner at 5.6°C, and Barmer at 6.9°C.With bright sunny weather expected in the coming days, the mercury is likely to register a gradual upward trend from Tuesday, the Met office said.