Cold conditions prevail in north India; mercury rises slightly in Kashmir, HP

Cold conditions maintained its grip over north India on Saturday even as Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh witnessed a rise in the mercury with the weatherman predicting increase in minimum temperatures over northwestern and eastern parts of the country next week.

The national capital witnessed a cold morning with the minimum temperature being recorded at 4.8 degrees Celsius three notches below the normal. Its maximum temperature was 21.4 degrees Celsius while humidity levels oscillated between 97 per cent and 48 per cent.

There was some respite from cold conditions in Kashmir as the night temperature rose on Saturday owing to cloudy sky. The minimum temperature in Srinagar improved by over three notches from minus 6.1 degrees Celsius on Friday to settle at minus 3 degrees Celsius.

The meteorological office said the mercury in Qazigund -- the gateway town to the Valley in south Kashmir settled at a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, an increase of nearly two degrees from the previous night's minus 8.2 degrees Celsius. Night temperature in Pahalgam settled at a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, an increase of nine degrees from minus 13.4 degrees Celsius on Friday. Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 9.8 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 11 degrees Celsius the previous night.

Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh recorded a low of minus 16.2 degrees Celsius. Himachal Pradesh too experienced slight respite from the biting cold as the minimum and maximum temperatures increased by a few notches and the weather remained dry.

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According to the meteorological department, the minimum and maximum temperatures increased by 1-4 degrees since Friday. Tribal district Lahaul-Spiti's administrative centre Keylong was the coldest place in the state with a low of minus 8.3 degrees Celsius. Kinnaur's Kalpa recorded a low of minus 5 degrees Celsius, followed by Manali 0.8 degrees Celsius and Kufri 2.8 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Dalhousie and Shimla was 5.1 degrees Celsius and 5.7 degrees Celsius respectively. The highest temperature in the state was in Solan at 22.2 degrees Celsius. However, cold weather conditions continued to prevail in most parts of Punjab and Haryana, with their joint capital Chandigarh recording a minimum of 6.2 degrees Celsius.

Karnal in Haryana was the coldest place in both states as it recorded a low of 2.5 degrees Celsius, four notches below the normal. Ambala and Hisar recorded their respective lows of 4.8 degrees Celsius and 3.5 degrees Celsius, almost four degrees below the normal. Punjab's Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded their minimum temperature at 6.4 degrees Celsius, 4.3 degrees Celsius and 7.3 degrees Celsius respectively.

Pathankot, Adampur, Halwara, Bathinda, Faridkot and Gurdaspur recorded their respective lows at 7.3 degrees Celsius, 4.6 degrees Celsius, 4.4 degrees Celsius, 4.8 degrees Celsius, 6 degrees Celsius and 4.6 degrees Celsius. Parts of Uttar Pradesh witnessed fog on Saturday morning as cold and dry weather persisted across the state. Muzaffarnagar was the coldest place in the state, where the mercury dipped to 2.9 degrees Celsius while state capital Lucknow's maximum and minimum temperatures settled at 22.3 degrees Celsius and 7.5 degrees Celsius respectively.

At many places, the minimum temperature was recorded below 6 degrees Celsius and these included Aligarh (5.8), Kanpur (5.6) Varanasi (5.5), Fursatganj in Amethi and Meerut (both 4.9). According to the India Meteorological Department, minimum temperatures over northwest India are likely to rise gradually by two to three degrees during the next three days. There is no significant change in temperatures in east India during the next two days and rise a rise of four to five notches thereafter, it said.

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