New Delhi: Cold wave persisted in several parts of the country with five more people succumbing to intense chilly conditions in Uttar Pradesh.
As the sun shone, the national capital experienced a pleasant day with a slight nip in the air. Delhi registered a maximum of 22.7 degrees Celsius, which was two degrees above normal, the MeT department said.
The minimum was 7.7 degrees Celsius, normal for this period, it said, adding that forecast is between 22 degrees Celsius and 7 degrees Celsius.
In Uttar Pradesh, three people were reported dead in Barabanki district and two in Jaunpur since Thursday due to the continuing cold wave, taking the death toll this winter to 254.
The lowest minimum temperature in the state was -0.5 degrees Celsius, recorded at Najibabad (Bijnore).
In the East, Aizawl in Mizoram witnessed the chilliest day recorded since 1996 with a minimum temperature of 5.6 degree Celsius. Frequent power cuts due to excess power consumption in search of warmth left people shivering.
In the North, Kashmir valley braved frigid night conditions with Kargil town in the cold desert of Ladakh being the coldest recorded place in the state by registering a low of minus 18.6 degrees Celsius, as compared to yesterday`s minus 18.2 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature in summer capital Srinagar plummeted from yesterday`s low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius to settle at a minimum of minus 4.0 degrees Celsius.
However, the minimum temperature in the famous skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was minus 9.0 degrees Celsius - slightly up as compared to the previous night`s minus 9.2 degrees Celsius.
The MeT department has predicted improvement in night temperatures across the valley and the frontier region of Ladakh on January 12 and 13, as there was a possibility of fresh snowfall in wide areas of the state.
Cold conditions prevailed in most parts of Punjab and Haryana with night temperatures a notch or two below normal.
Rajasthan registered slight relief with night temperatures, which were in the range of 6.8 degrees Celsius to 11.4 degrees Celsius at most places, increasing by a few notches.
PTI
