North India shivers as winter brings snowfall in hills and cold waves. Delhi, Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Kolkata see record low temperatures.

winter tightened its grip on North India, with snowfall in hilly states and temperatures dropping across the region, including the national capital, which saw its first cold day of the year.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts more light rain or snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Minimum temperatures were below 0 degrees Celsius in numerous parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad, between 0 and 5 degrees in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and between 5 and 10 degrees in various parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The IMD predicted cold day conditions in the national capital on Wednesday, with maximum temperatures in Delhi ranging from 13 degrees Celsius to 16 degrees Celsius.

According to the IMD, cold day conditions occur when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees Celsius to 6.4 degrees Celsius below normal.

On Tuesday, the highest temperature in the national capital was 15.7 degrees Celsius, 3.3 notches below the seasonal average, while the lowest temperature was 7.6 degrees Celsius, 0.7 notches above normal.

Meanwhile, the administration of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh has issued a blanket ban on all trekking operations above 3,000 meters in the district due to deteriorating weather, according to officials here.

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Gulmarg in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir had the coldest night on Monday, with a minimum temperature of minus 8.6 degrees Celsius, according to the weather office.

On Monday night, a weak western disturbance caused light snowfall in a few regions of Kashmir’s higher reaches, including the Mughal Road and the upper areas of Ganderbal, according to officials.

They said the minimum temperatures in most parts of Kashmir fell last night, with Srinagar registering a low of minus 4 degrees Celsius, down from minus 3.6 degrees Celsius the night before.

Most of Rajasthan is experiencing severe cold, with night temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius in various portions of the state, and four spots registering lowest temperatures below five degrees.

Due to extreme cold and dense fog, the administration has prolonged winter holidays in over a dozen districts, particularly in basic schools, including Jaipur, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, and Sikar.

Jaipur had severe fog for the first time this season.

Several locations in the Bikaner, Kota, and Udaipur divisions were also obscured by dense fog. People were spotted starting bonfires to defend themselves from the cold, while the authorities set up night shelters throughout the cities.

In Jharkhand, a coldwave notice was issued when temperatures fell below 10 degrees Celsius in ten districts.

Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, and Chatra were among the districts to receive the ‘yellow’ alert, according to officials.

Coldwave conditions are predicted to persist in these locations until January 7, they added.

Gumla had the lowest temperature in the state, at 2.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Khunti at 3.7 degrees Celsius and Lohardaga at 3.9 degrees Celsius, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Kolkata experienced its coldest January day ever, with temperatures plummeting to 10.2 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD, and the chill is expected to worsen over the following two days in southern West Bengal.

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According to government records, Kolkata’s minimum temperature in January has only fallen below 11 degrees Celsius once in the last 15 years, in 2023, when it reached 10.9 degrees Celsius.

According to the IMD, severe fog is predicted to prevail in most districts of northern West Bengal for the next few days, particularly in the early morning hours, resulting in restricted visibility.

Cold day conditions are also expected in sections of Dakshin Dinajpur, Uttar Dinajpur, and Malda.

The IMD warned individuals, particularly the elderly and those with health issues, to take precautions as the cold weather strengthens its grip on the region.