Severe cold grips Rajasthan, ground frost likely

Jaipur, Jan 11 (IANS) Severe cold weather continued to affect normal life in Rajasthan on Wednesday with Met Office warning that conditions would become severe and ground frost would occur at isolated places in the state in next 24 hours.

"Cold wave conditions would prevail at a few places in the state and severe cold wave conditions would occur at isolated places in the state in next 24 hours," a weather department official said.

"Ground frost would occur over isolated places in Rajasthan," the official also warned.

While Mount Abu, the only hill station in Rajasthan, recorded a minimum temperature of 2.4 degrees Celsius below the freezing point, the state capital shivered at 3.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 5 degrees Celsius below normal.

Churu was the coldest place in plains of the state, shivering at -0.3 degree Celsius, 5 degrees below what is normal for this time of the season.

Bikaner, Sriganganagar and Pilani recorded the minimum temperatures of 3.7 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees Celsius and 4.3 degrees Celsius respectively.

The lowest temperature in Ajmer and Dabok stood at 4.7 degrees Celsius and 5.4 degrees Celsius respectively.

In view of the cold conditions, some cities have declared holidays in schools till January 14.

The Jaipur District Collector has directed that schools should not open before before 9.30 a.m.