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Intense cold conditions prevailed in parts of north India on Sunday as the mercury plummeted to minus 12.6 degrees Celsius in Leh, while the Kashmir valley braced for possible snowfall over two days from Monday.
National capital Delhi, however, experienced a relatively warmer day with the minimum temperature settling at 8 degrees Celsius, a degree above the normal for this time of the season. The maximum temperature was recorded at 22.8 degrees Celsius, three notches above the normal.
The Valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harsh winter period known as 'Chillai-Kalan' which began on December 21 and during which the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
A Jammu and Kashmir MeT official said the mercury in Leh, the frontier Ladakh region, went down by over three degrees as it recorded a low of minus 12.6 degrees Celsius against the previous night's minus 9.2 degrees Celsius.
The cold wave tightened its grip in other places in Kashmir division with Qazigund -- the gateway town to the Valley along Srinagar-Jammu National Highway -- recording the minimum of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, the official said.
There was some respite from the harsh winter in Srinagar where the minimum temperature settled at minus 2.7 degrees Celsius against yesterday's minus 3.8 degrees Celsius, he said.
Chillai-Kalan ends on January 31, but the cold wave usually continues even after that. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).
In other parts of north India, Amritsar recorded the lowest temperature in Punjab at 2.8 degrees Celsius.
Narnaul turned out to be the coldest place in Haryana on Sunday recording a low of 4.8 degrees Celsius while Hisar also experienced a cold night at 5.8 degrees Celsius.
The MeT office Jammu and Kashmir has said that there is possibility of light snowfall in the plains and moderate snowfall in the higher reaches of the Valley over two days from Monday.
The state government has asked the administration to gear up for providing uninterrupted essential services to people during the anticipated snowfall in the Valley.
Mercury dropped at most other places in Kashmir and Ladakh regions, the MeT official said.
In Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath Yatra, the mercury settled at a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, a decrease of over a degree from yesterday's minus 5.3 degrees Celsius.
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, the major attraction for the tourists visiting the Valley during winter, registered a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night's low of minus 5.8 degrees Celsius.
The nearby town of Kargil registered the minimum of minus 15 degrees Celsius as compared to yesterday's low of minus 10 degrees Celsius, the official said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir and Kokernag in south though experienced a slight respite in the cold conditions as the mercury in the twin towns registered an increase from the previous night and settled at a low of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius and minus 1.7 degrees Celsius.
Chandigarh had a cold night with mercury dipping to 5.5 degrees Celsius, the MeT Department report said.
Apart from Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala also reeled under biting chill conditions recording below normal minimum at 3.4 degrees Celsius and 5.5 degrees Celsius respectively.
Karnal recorded a low of 6 degrees Celsius while Ambala's low settled at 7.7 degrees Celsius.
Mercury again dipped in parts of Rajasthan with Churu being reported the coldest place in the state at a little over 5 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, due to fog in neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, nine trains of North Western Railways were running late, and one train's time was rescheduled, its CPRO Tarun Jain said.
Meanwhile, Jaipur's minimum temperature also dipped to 9.2, about 0.8 degree less than yesterday's.
Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Jodhpur in western regions were still experiencing higher temperature within the range of 12 to 14.4 degrees Celsius.
Mount Abu, sole hill station recorded 7.4 degree Celsius.