One dies of cold; train, air traffic remain hit JAMMU: While cold wave continued to grip entire State including Kashmir valley and plain areas of Jammu region, Drass township in Kargil district recorded the lowest temperature of -27 degree celsius whereas, night temperature in Jammu has further receded to 5.7 degree celsius as Solar radiations have depleted to nearly 80 percent in the winter capital. Dense fog and mist continued to play havoc with the normal life of the people, causing suspension of some flights and disruption in the smooth movement of trains and vehicular traffic. A middle-aged man died of cold at a `Sarai' in district Kathua. Many trains arrived late by four to nine hours at the Jammu station in last 24 hours while some flights were also rescheduled. SP Airport Ashok Sharma told the Excelsior that Air Mantra Flight between Chandigarh-Jammu-Chandigarh was cancelled again on the fifth consecutive day due to dense fog in Punjab as it could not take off from there while Air India Flight from Delhi was late by an hour. Against its scheduled departure time to Delhi 3.45 pm, it took off from here for the Union capital at around 5.15 pm from Jammu airport. Spice jet flight between Delhi-Jammu was also cancelled. A report from Kathua said that a beggar died of severe cold in the Veranda of a local Sarai in Basohli town this morning. Some people noticed the man lying in the Sarai and informed police. He had died of cold. Later, he was identified as Satish Kumar alias Dand, son of Mansa Ram of Palasi village. A spokesman from Metrological Department said that Drass was the coldest place where the temperature remained lowest. The lowest temperature in Kargil was -17.4 degree celsius while in Leh, it was -18 degrees today. He further said that weather will be mainly dry and cold over the State and foggy conditions are likely to prevail over the plains of Jammu region in next 24 hours. In Srinagar, the maximum temperature today was 7.8 degree celsius while minimum -4.6 degree. In Jammu the day temperature has shown some improvement and was recorded as 10.0 degree celsius while the night temperature has further depleted to 5.7 degree celsius. In Banihal the night temperature was -2.8 and day temperature 12.3 degree celsius. In Udhampur, the maximum temperature was 14.0 degree celsius and minimum 3.5 degree today, in Ramban night temperature was 1.9 degree while during the day it was 14.9, in Kathua maximum temperature was 11.8 degree while minimum 6.8 degree celsius and in Samba the day temperature was 10.6 degre while night temperature 6.1 degree celsius. Dr M K Khushu, Chief Scientist, Agrometeorology SKUAST-Jammu said that there has been considerable depletion in the Sun waves radiations to earth in Jammu region. He said in past one week, nearly 70 to 80 % depletion in the Sun wave radiations has been observed in Jammu as during the day dense fog and mist has made people to shiver while Sunlight is hardly seen in most of the areas of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. Dr Khushu said normally during the day when the weather is clear Sun wave radiations should be hundred percent during peak hours in winters in Jammu. Around 80% depletion in radiations means, hardly 20 percent Solar radiations are being received here during these days now. There seems to be no respite from the chilling cold for the next couple of days here, he added. Meanwhile, a Railways spokesman said that several trains have arrived late by hours together in view of dense fog in northern parts of the country. He disclosed that Himgiri train was late by six hours, Tata Moori nearly five hours, Malwa Express by four hours, Ahmedabad Express by four hours, Sarvodya by five and half hours, Pooja Express by five hours, Sealdah by two and half hours, Archana Express by four and half hours, Jhelum by two hours and Kolkata-Chitpur-Jammu by four hours. Meanwhile, the vehicular traffic has also been affected with the fog in the region. On Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, only one way traffic is allowed. There will be up convoy towards Srinagar tomorrow and no down movement of vehicles will be allowed, DIG Traffic Shakeel Beig said.