Cold conditions persist in north India

Wintry conditions persisted in many parts of north India with mercury remaining well below the normal levels for the season.
Cold winds kept the mercury at below the standard level in Delhi, where a shallow fog was seen in the morning hours.
The minimum temperature settled three notches below the season's average at 9.8 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature was recorded at a comfortable 26.7 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, Met officials said.
Yesterday, the minimum temperature had dipped to 8 degrees Celsius and the maximum had settled at 26.6 degrees.
Cold wave tightened its grip over Kashmir division after a day's respite as the minimum temperature across the Valley dipped below freezing point, with Leh in Ladakh region, being the coldest place in the state at minus 9.9 degrees Celsius.

The night temperature in Srinagar went down by two degrees from the previous night's 1.4 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 0.8 degrees Celsius, a spokesman of MeT Department said.

Pahalgam registered a slide of over two degrees as the minimum temperature settled at minus 3.8 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 1 degree Celsius against last night's minus 0.2 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 2 degrees Celsius, a drop of over three degrees from yesterday's 1.3 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund and Kokernag towns in south Kashmir registered minus 1.9 and minus 0.4 degrees Celsius respectively and Kargil town recorded minus 9.8 degrees Celsius.