North India gets a respite from cold wave

The mercury rose by a few notches in several parts of North India, giving respite to people from cold conditions, even as the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir remained in sub-zero temperatures.

Leh and Kargil in the Ladakh region reeled from a severe cold wave, both recording a minimum temperature of  -11ºC.

Gulmarg, a hill resort in North Kashmir, was the coldest in the valley with a minimum of -8ºC, while the temperature in Pahalgam in South Kashmir settled at -3.5ºC. Srinagar recorded a low of  -0.6ºC against  -2.2ºC yesterday.

Night temperature improved in Jammu, with the city recording a low of 9.4ºC against 8.1ºC yesterday.

Cold conditions also abated in many parts of Punjab and Haryana with a rise in night temperatures in the past couple of days.

Hisar in Haryana recorded a low of 11.5ºC, two notches above normal, while the minimum in Ambala settled at 8.4ºC. The night temperature in Chandigarh also rose a couple of notches to settle at 10.3ºC.

In Punjab, Ludhiana registered a low of 10.8ºC, 2º above normal, and Patiala, 9.9ºC while the night temperature at Amritsar rose two notches to settle at 8.6ºC.

In Delhi, the weatherman predicted a rise in temperatures in the days ahead. The minimum temperature was recorded at 11.7ºC, a degree above normal, against yesterday's 9.7ºC.

The mercury stayed at a comfortable level in Shimla and other low-lying areas of Himachal Pradesh, but the upper reaches of the state continued to remain in the grip of intense cold due to chilly winds.

Shimla recorded a night temperature of 9ºC and a day temperature of 18.8ºC.

Keylong, headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti district, was the coldest place in the state, recording a night temperature of -11.5ºC. The low in Kalpa in Kinnaur district settled at  -2ºC.