Winter chill intensifies in North India, Kashmir temp drops below freezing

The winter chill intensified in most parts of north India on Wednesday as night temperatures in the Kashmir Valley dipped in most parts to settle below zero degrees, while it inched closer to the freezing point even in parts of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.

The national capital, however, saw a brief respite from the bitter cold during the day and saw a sunny afternoon and higher daytime temperatures.

In Himachal Pradesh, the weather department issued a yellow warning for a cold wave, ground frost and dense fog for some places in five of the 12 districts in the state -- Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi.

Due to a western disturbance, there is a possibility of rain and snowfall in parts of northwest India later in the week, the weather office said.

The India Meteorological Department said in its Wednesday bulletin that minimum temperatures are likely to fall by about 2 degrees Celsius in northwest India during the next 24 hours and a gradual rise by 2-4 degrees thereafter.

It said that cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab on Thursday and Friday; Rajasthan on Friday; Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh on Friday and Saturday.

Cold conditions persisted in parts of Rajasthan where Fatehpur of Sikar district recorded night temperature at 1.1 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the state, the weather department said.

The weather in the state remained mainly dry in the last 24 hours and cold waves were recorded at some places, the Met office said.

During this period, the lowest minimum temperature of 1.1 degrees Celsius was recorded in Fatehpur. The minimum temperature in Nagur was recorded at 1.7 degrees, Sirohi at 2.7 degrees, Jalore at 2.9 degrees, Lunkaransar (Bikaner) at 3.9 degrees, Churu at 4 degrees, Dausa at 4.2 degrees, Sikar at 4.5 degrees, Bhilwara at 4.6 degrees in Bhilwara, it said.

The night temperature was 6.4 degrees Celsius in the capital Jaipur, it said.

The weather in the state is likely to remain mainly dry for a few days and the minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to fall by two to four degrees Celsius in most parts.

Dense fog was observed at many places in Punjab and Haryana, with visibility reduced to zero in Amritsar. In Chandigarh, the common capital of both states, the visibility was down to 80 metres. Fog was also observed in Haryana's Karnal and Ambala.

Sangrur was the coldest place in Punjab, recording a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius, six notches below normal, the Met office said.

Amritsar registered a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 6.8 degrees and Patiala 7.4 degrees. Chandigarh recorded a low of 8.3 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal.

In Jammu and Kashmir, after a brief respite, cold in the Kashmir Valley intensified with night temperatures falling below the freezing point.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at minus 1 degree Celsius, down from the previous night's 0.9 degrees, it said. The city had witnessed bright sunshine in the morning.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 9.8 degrees Celsius, compared to the previous night's minus 6.6 degrees, and was the coldest recorded place in the valley.

In Pahalgam, one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, the minimum temperature settled at minus 8.2 degrees Celsius against the previous night's minus 7.8 degrees.

Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, logged a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius while Konibal in Pampore town registered a minimum temperature of minus 1 degree.

Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.1 degrees Celsius while Kokernag in south Kashmir saw the mercury settle at minus 1.9 degrees.

The Met office has forecast mainly dry weather over the next few days, with the possibility of light rain or snow at isolated places on Saturday.

It also said the minimum temperature was likely to drop further in the valley and forecast an isolated cold wave over the few days ahead.

Delhi witnessed a sunny afternoon on Wednesday after several breezy cold days as the maximum temperature settled at 21.5 degrees Celsius, 2.5 notches warmer than the season's normal.

Mainly clear skies were observed during the day even as the city was enveloped with dense fog in the morning with the visibility dropping to zero.

The maximum temperature on Wednesday rose significantly from the 16.2 degrees Celsius recorded the day before.

However, it was a colder morning on Wednesday as the minimum temperature dropped sharply to 7.4 degrees Celsius, as compared to 10.5 degrees Celsius recorded on Tuesday.

In Himachal Pradesh, Una district experienced a severe cold wave on Tuesday night, with the minimum temperature hovering around the freezing point at 1.2 degrees Celsius, while Tabo in the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district recorded the coldest temperature at night, dipping to minus 13.6 degrees Celsius.

Cold wave was observed in Hamirpur, Mandi and Kangra districts, dense fog was seen in Bilaspur and Mandi, while shallow fog was seen in Kangra.

The weather will remain mainly dry until Friday, barring isolated places in the tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur, which may experience snowfall.

Officials also added that there is a possibility of snowfall in the mid and high hills on Saturday and Sunday.

Like on Wednesday, the weather department issued a yellow warning for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra and Mandi districts for Thursday.