New Delhi: Temperatures dipped in most parts of North India on Sunday though the national capital witnessed a warm and pleasant day, as Himachal Pradesh`s higher reaches including famous hill resort Manali received mild snowfall.
In Delhi, shallow fog in the morning gave way to a slightly warm day with minimum temperature recording at seven degrees Celsius, one notch below the season`s average.
The maximum temperature in the national capital was recorded at 19.5 deg C, according to the Met department.
In the Kashmir Valley, cold wave intensified its grip as the minimum temperatures dropped in most places, even as some parts received light rainfall last night.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, recorded a low of 0.4 degree Celsius last night, down from 1.2 degree C the previous night, a Met Department official said.
He said the mercury in Qazigund - the gateway town to the Kashmir Valley - settled at minus 1.6 degree C, as against the previous night`s minus 1.1 degree C. The official said the town received 9.0 mm of rainfall.
The temperature in the tourist resort of Pahalgam, in south Kashmir, decreased by over four degrees to register a low of minus 10.2 degrees C compared to minus 5.7 degrees C previous night. The resort received 9.8mm of rainfall during the night.
Leh, in Ladakh region, recorded a low of minus 9.2 degrees as against minus 9.0 degrees the previous night.
Kargil was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury went down by over two degrees to settle at minus 17.8 deg C compared to the previous night`s minus 15.4 deg C.
In Himachal Pradesh, the biting cold wave conditions sweeping most parts of the state aggravated as mercury dropped following moderate snowfall in tribal areas and other higher reaches.
The minimum temperature dipped to 1.1 degree C at Shimla which was lashed by icy winds, accompanied by sleet and rains while key tourist spot of Manali shivered at minus 4.5 degree C after another spell of mild snowfall.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperatures, which had been hovering a few notches above normal for the past several days across Punjab and Haryana, dropped sharply, the MeT Department said.
Amritsar was the coldest place in the two states, recording a three degrees below normal minimum followed by Adampur in Jalandhar district, where the low settled at 3.3 deg C, down two notches.
Ludhiana and Patiala, too, experienced a cold night recording respective minimums of 6.4 deg C and 7.6 deg C.
Narnaul was the coldest place in Haryana recording a night temperature of 5 deg C, down two degrees while Hisar also shivered at 5.7 deg C, also two below normal.
Union Territory Chandigarh also witnessed a drop in its minimum temperature, which settled at 8.2 deg C.
In Rajasthan, night temperatures dropped by a few notches in parts of the state where Churu recorded as the coldest place at a minimum of 4.3 degree Celsius.
Sriganganagar recorded a minimum of 4.7 degrees C whereas Pilani, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Barmer recorded low of 5.3, 5.5, 7.5, 9 and 9.1 degrees C respectively, according to a Met Department report.
In Uttar Pradesh, night temperatures fell markedly in several districts where mainly dry weather prevailed.
Minimum temperatures plummeted in Agra, Lucknow, Jhansi, Bareilly, Moradabad, Meerut and Faizabad divisions, the Met office said. The minimum in Muzaffarnagar touched five degrees Celsius as fog engulfed some parts of the state.
