New Delhi: Cold wave was back in vast swathes of north India on Tuesday, bringing down minimum temperatures after two days of relief provided by rain. However, night temperatures went up across the Kashmir Valley, where famous ski-resort Gulmarg witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall.
Icy winds swept across the national capital after a short breather even as the mercury hovered close to normal levels. The minimum temperature in Delhi settled at 7.8 degrees Celsius which was one notch above normal for this part of the year but considerably down from Monday’s 12 degrees.
According to the MeT department, Tuesday’s maximum was recorded at 20.7 degrees Celsius, which was normal. Monday, the maximum stood at 19 degrees. Early morning fog in Delhi and its neighboring areas disrupted rail operations, delaying 29 trains to and from Delhi.
Meanwhile, Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir, received fresh snowfall even as minimum temperatures at most places in the Valley and the Ladakh region appreciated by several degrees, providing relief from the intense cold.
“There was light snowfall of 1.25 inch in Gulmarg during the night,” an official said. Adding the minimum in Gulmarg settled at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius. Night temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, rose by over four notches to settle at minus 0.3 degree Celsius.
The mercury in Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir registered an increase of over three degrees to settle at minus 3.0 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Leh in the frontier Ladakh region increased by over two notches to settle at minus 10.0 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night’s 12.2 degrees.
Kargil, also in Ladakh region, registered a low of minus 14.0 degrees, a notch up from minus 15.0 degrees the previous night, and was the coldest recorded place in the state.
 In Punjab and Haryana, the mercury fell across the two states as cold wind resurfaced after a brief lull. Maximum temperatures dipped sharply in both the states, while night temperatures witnessed marginal fall.
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