Chill returns to Punjab, Haryana; pleasant weather in Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI) Cold conditions today returned toPunjab and Haryana after a brief pause even as the nationalcapital continued to enjoy a pleasant weather.

Chill returned to Punjab and Haryana, where the coldconditions had relented slightly in the past few few days,with the minimum temperature dropping below normal in severalparts of the region.

Ludhiana at 2.7 deg C, three points below normal, was thecoldest in the plains.

While Amritsar braved a low of 3 deg C, one notch belownormal, the minimum temperature at Patiala was 3.9 deg C, twopoints below normal.

Mercury settled at 5 deg C, one notch below normal, inChandigarh.

The mercury registered a slight drop in the nationalcapital, which is experiencing a spell of pleasant weatherover the last few days.

The low was recorded at 7.4 deg C as against yesterday''s8.8 deg C. A shallow fog cover was seen in the early hours butit gave way to sun as the day progressed.

Cold wave tightened its grip in Jammu and Kashmir withmost parts of the state registering temperature severaldegrees below the freezing point.

Leh in Ladakh region settled at minimum -20 deg C, whileit was -19 deg C in Kargil.

Pahalgam and Gulmarg, both at minimum -10.4 deg C, werethe coldest places in Kashmir Valley. Srinagar settled at alow of -4.6 deg C.

The intense cold wave sweeping Himachal Pradesh furtheraggravated as the mercury plunged in tribal areas and othermid and higher hills and strong velocity icy winds lashed theregion.

The minimum temperature dropped to -16.7 deg C, sevendegree below normal, in Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district.

while Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district groaned under minimum-5.2 deg C.

Elsewhere, mercury dipped to -1.2 deg C in Solan, -1.1deg C in Sundernagar and 0.6 deg C in Bhuntar.

The state capital Shimla recorded a low of 2.1 deg C.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan got a respite from the biting coldwith the minimum temperature remaining two to four pointsabove normal in most parts of the state.

Sri Ganganagar at minimum 4.7 deg C was the coldest placein the state.

While Churu recorded a minimum of 7.4 deg C, it was 10.6deg C in Jaipur and 11.3 deg C in Jaisalmer.