Cold wave continued to sweep north India on Wednesday with mercury settling at minus 15.3 degrees Celsius in Drass in Jammu and Kashmir and the weather department forecast heavy snowfall and rains in the northern states of the country in the coming days.
MeT department officials said Delhi recorded a low of 7.9 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal, and a high of 23.2 degrees Celsius. On Tuesday, the mercury had dipped to the season's lowest at 7.4 degrees Celsius.
They said light rain and high-velocity winds are expected in the national capital on Thursday and Friday which will provide relief from pollution. Rains are also likely to occur in neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital turned "severe" on Wednesday, primarily due to low temperature and wind speed, according to officials.
The suburbs of Ghaziabad (441), Noida (426), Greater Noida (449), Faridabad (390) and Gurgaon (370) also breathed extremely polluted air.
The high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh received light snowfall on Wednesday even as the night temperature continued an upward trend due to overcast conditions across the region.
The weather department has issued an orange warning for the twin Union Territories for Thursday and Friday, predicting moderate to heavy snowfall and rain under the influence of western disturbance which had hit the region.
"Light snowfall occurred at high altitude areas including the famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, Pahalgam in south and Sonamarg in central Kashmir," the official said.
Flight operations at the Srinagar airport remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day due to poor visibility caused by heavy fog, officials said.
Fresh snowfall forced closure of 434-km strategic Srinagar-Leh national highway and Mughal road connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri with south Kashmir's Shopian district.
The roads linking the border towns of Gurez in Bandipora district and Karhnah and Tangdhar in Kupwara district were also closed, while the traffic on Jammu-Srinagar national highway was restricted to one-way.
In Uttarakhand, Mukteshwar recorded a minimum temperature of 3.9 degree Celsius on Wednesday followed by New Tehri at 5.6 degree Celsius, Pantnagar at 6.2 degrees and Dehradun at 7.9 degree Celsius.
The MeT department on Wednesday issued a heavy snowfall alert in parts of the state for Thursday and Friday which may intensify cold in the region.
Some places in Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts may be lashed by rain and hail while others in Tehri, Nainital and Almora districts may receive snowfall on Friday, it said.
Intense cold wave conditions continued in Himachal Pradesh and rain and snowfall are likely to occur in different parts of the state till December 16.
The mid and higher hills are expected to receive heavy rain and snowfall till December 16, the local MeT office said as it issued a yellow warning for heavy rain, snowfall for two days on Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile Lahaul-Spiti's administrative centre Keylong continued to be the coldest place with the lowest temperature in the state at minus 4 degrees Celsius.
Adampur and Ludhiana in Punjab shivered on Wednesday, recording below normal minimum temperatures as cold weather continued to prevail in the state and neighbouring Haryana. The two cities recorded a low of 3.4 degrees and 3.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
Amritsar in Punjab recorded a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius.
In neighbouring Haryana, Hisar recorded a low of 5.6 degrees Celsius, while Karnal registered a minimum of 6.6 degrees Celsius.
A MeT Department official said that fog reduced visibility in the morning at few places.
In Rajasthan, Ganganagar was recorded as the coldest place with a minimum temperature of 7.9 degree Celsius followed by Churu which registered a night temperature of 8 degree Celsius.
Vanasthai (Tonk) and Alwar recorded minimum temperature of of 8.1 and 8.2 degree Celsius respectively while Sikar, Dabok, Jaipur and Jodhpur registered night temperature of 9, 9.5, 10.6 and 11.2 degrees Celsius respectively.
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