NEW DELHI: In view of dense fog, as many as 20 flights were delayed in Delhi on early morning Wednesday, sources said. Northern parts of India over the past few days have been recording chilling temperatures.

The IMD in a fresh notice issued warned states of severe cold for the coming 4-5 days. The notice said- It is very likely to continue over northwest India during the next three days and thereafter, decrease in intensity. According to the weather department, most pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar may have a severely cold day on Wednesday.

Districts including Bareilly, Mathura, Kanpur Dehat, Sultanpur, and Kheri in UP as per the forecast will witness severe cold. In Punjab and Haryana, a cold day is predicted in many pockets including Gurdaspur, Firozpur, and Ludhiana.

“Mild snowfall occurred at a place in Lahaul-Spiti…Clear weather conditions will be there for three-four days while fog will prevail in districts adjoining plains. Light to moderate snowfall in mountainous districts is likely to occur from January 6,” an IMD official said predicting the temperature drops in Rajasthan.

Earlier on Tuesday, the weather department issued an orange alert for many districts in Rajasthan including Churu, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar. Fatehpur recorded the lowest temperature at minus 1 degree celsius. The IMD said Churu in West Rajasthan recorded the lowest minimum temperature of minus 0.9 degrees Celsius.

Dense fog in Delhi reduced visibility and affected vehicular movement on Tuesday. As many as 21 trains were delayed due to the foggy weather. Several flights were also diverted on Monday night as the weather worsened.