Winter intensifies grip over north India

Night temperatures dropped to below normal level in most parts of north India today as winter intensified its grip over the region.
It was a pleasant day in the national capital with the minimum temperature settling at a notch below normal at 11.7 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 27.8 degrees Celsius, average for this time of the season. According to the MeT office, humidity in the air oscillated between 88 and 30 per cent.
In Himachal Pradesh, cold wave conditions continued unabated with minimum temperatures plummeting by a few notches even as piercing icy weather conditions persisted in tribal areas and other higher hills.

The high altitude tribal areas groaned under biting cold wave conditions with mercury staying below freezing point.
All natural sources of water like lakes, springs, rivulets and tributaries of major rivers in high altitude tribal areas were frozen, resulting sharp reduction in discharge of water in snow-fed Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers.
In state capital Shimla, the minimum temperature stood at 9.8 degrees Celsius and the maximum was 19.4 degrees Celsius, according to the MeT office.