Cold wave prevails in north India

Chilly winter conditions prevailed across north India today with hilly areas shivering under biting cold, even as fog affected movement of traffic and rail operations in some areas.
Delhiites woke up to yet another foggy morning with the minimum temperature settling at 10.3 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average. The maximum temperature in the national capital stood at 16.9 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal.
Early morning fog disrupted road and rail services, officials said.
Kargil, in the frontier Ladakh region, was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir with the minimum dipping by nearly six notches to minus 17 degrees as the cold wave tightened its grip across the state.

Leh, also in Ladakh, recorded a low of minus 14.4 degrees Celsius, a decrease of nearly three degrees from minus 11.7 degrees Celsius the previous night. Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 0.8 degree.
Famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 8.4 degrees compared to minus 7.8 degrees the previous night. The famous south Kashmir hill resort of Pahalgam registered a minimum temperature of minus 6.6 degrees Celsius.

Cold conditions also prevailed in several parts of Punjab and Haryana with dense fog and mist affecting normal life. Two flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Chandigarh were late by about an hour. Several trains were also running late.

Amritsar in Punjab was the coldest place in the region with a minimum of 3 degrees Celsius. The minimums in Ludhiana and Patiala were recorded at 8.7 and 8.6 degrees Celsius respectively. Chandigarh's low settled at 9 degrees Celsius.
Among other places in Haryana, the minimum temperatures at Ambala and Hisar were recorded at 8.4 and 8 degrees Celsius. Narnaul's low was recorded at 10 degrees.
The weather remained dry in Uttar Pradesh as fog occurred at a few places and cold conditions persisted with mercury recording the lowest temperature in Saharanpur and Orai at 5 degrees Celsius. Night temperatures hovered above normal levels Agra, Meerut and Varanasi divisions.