Chandigarh, Jan. 6 -- Obscured by thick cloud cover and fog for the past 11 days, the sun finally made an appearance in Chandigarh, bringing much-needed relief from the biting chill.

As the sun rays made their way through the clouds on Monday, a first since December 24, the maximum temperature jumped by six degrees, rising from 12degC on Sunday - a bitter six degrees below normal and the lowest of the season - to a balmy 18.7degC, 0.5 degree above normal.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), chances of fog are likely to reduce in the coming days and residents can look forward to more toasty afternoons.

As a result, IMD has also downgraded the orange alert for dense fog to yellow.

The city, which had remained colder ...