Cold wave intensifies in north India

NEW DELHI: Cold wave continued to intensify across north India as mercury dropped significantly in many places in the region today.

Srinagar and Leh in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir experienced the coldest nights of the season so far as freezing conditions tightened its grip on the state.

Pleasant weather prevailed in Delhi during the day after a misty morning even as mercury registered a dip from yesterday's recordings.

The maximum temperature settled a notch below the season's average at 26 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 8.5 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal, Met department said.

Yesterday, the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 27.8 and 8.8 degrees Celsius.

The mercury in Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night's minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, a spokesman of the MeT Department said.

The minimum temperature in Leh dropped nearly three degrees to minus 12 degrees Celsius as compared to the previous night's minus 9.3 degrees Celsius.

Kargil, also in Ladakh region, registered a low of minus 10.5 degrees Celsius as against previous night's minus 10 degrees Celsius, he said.

The minimum in the tourist resort of Pahalgam, which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath Yatra, settled at minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, while the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg registered a low of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius as against minus 1.4 degrees Celsius previous night.

Qazigund, in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, while the minimum in Kokernag settled at minus 1.5 degree Celsius and Kupwara, in north Kashmir, registered a low of minus 2 degrees Celsius.