Leh freezes at -13.9 degree Celsius, cold wave in north India

Leh froze at minus 13.9 degrees Celsius as most parts of Jammu and Kashmir recorded sub-zero temperatures amid cold weather conditions prevailing in north India, including Delhi.

In the national capital, Mercury scaled up to settle at 22.8 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 9.8 degrees Celsius, both two notches above the season's average.

However, a dense fog cover in Delhi during the morning hours delayed 40 trains and led to a change in schedule of 17 others. Flight operations remained unaffected by the weather conditions, officials said.

The night temperature across Kashmir division dipped by several degrees as the cold wave tightened its grip in the region where the prevailing dry weather is expected to lead to a further drop in mercury.

Leh, in Ladakh region, was the coldest recorded place in J-K with a temperature of minus 13.9 degrees Celsius while Kargil town recorded minus 11.8 degrees Celsius, two notches down from earlier days.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.1 degrees Celsius, as 'Chillai-Kalan', considered the harshest period of winter, continues in Kashmir.

Cold conditions prevailed in Punjab and Haryana as minimum temperatures hovered a few notches above normal in most parts of both the states where Amritsar remained the coldest place with a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a minimum temperature of 8.6 degrees Celsius, slightly above the normal.

In Uttar Pradesh, one person was killed and two others injured in road accidents as fog cover reduced visibility in the state where Muzaffarnagar with a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius remained the coldest place.

Dry weather continued in the state with moderate to dense fog occurring at many places and very dense fog at isolated places.

The night temperature fell appreciably in Agra division, it rose appreciably in Kanpur and Lucknow divisions, rose in Varanasi, Allahabad divisions and changed little elsewhere.

Night temperatures dipped in parts of Rajasthan as Mount Abu, the sole hill station of the desert state, shivered at 2.4 degrees Celsius while Jaipur recorded 12.4 degrees Celsius.

Dense fog continued to prevail in the northern regions leading to 16 trains under the North Western Railway being delayed.

-PTI