Cold wave continues to grip north India

New Delhi, Jan.2 (ANI): People shivered as freezing cold wave continues to grip north India on Sunday.

In the national capital, the minimum temperature was 8.4 degree Celsius and people lit bonfire to warm themselves.

"The weather is very cold. Since 3:30 in the morning, we are sitting beside bonfire. We are hoping that we will be able to see the sun in but it seems to be playing game of hide and seek. We are not able to sleep because of cold," said Murari Lal, a resident of Delhi.

In Uttar Pradesh, most of the cities remained under thick fog. The temperature ranged between 9 to 11 degrees Celsius at 8:30 today morning.

The sky is clear in Varanasi, Allahabad and adjoining places. The met office has predicted foggy condition to prevail for next two days.

Most places in Uttrakhand today got a temporary respite from the severe cold condition with day temperature rising between 2 to 5 degree Celsius following the sunshine.

In Jammu and Kashmir, three persons have died due to severe cold in Jammu Division. While two died in Udhampur District, body of an unidentified person was recovered by police from the outskirts of Jammu.

Severe cold wave has been sweeping across the Jammu region during the past three days, which has resulted in sharp dip in the day temperature, recorded at 14.5 Degree Celsius.

In Leh town, the mercury dipped down to minus 23.6 degrees Celsius.

"Leh recorded a minimum temperature of minus 23.6 degrees Celsius which is the coldest of this winter," a MET department official said.

The cold wave has also intensified in Gulmarg and Pahalgam resorts in Kashmir, where mercury plunged 12 degrees below freezing point. This was the coldest night in both tourist places this winter.

Srinagar, which witnessed minimum of 0.8 degrees above melting point of ice yesterday, plunged to minus 2.4 degrees Celsius today.

Meanwhile, the hill station Mount Abu in Rajasthan shivered as the mercury plunged below the minus mark on Saturday.

The temperature in the region recorded temperature of minus 3.4 degree Celsius.

"Today's temperature is minus 3.4 degree Celsius, which is the lowest of this year. Since last 15 days, the temperature is going in minus. But today's is the lowest that is minus 3.4 degree Celsius," said Vijay Singh, a Metrological Department official, Mount Abu. (ANI)