NEW DELHI: Cold conditions intensified in North India on Sunday, with rains lashing most parts due to western disturbance, according to the Met department. Weather conditions are expected to remain the same for a few days ahead.
Snowfall was recorded in the higher reaches of Uttarkhand and Jammu and Kashmir and some places in Himachal Pradesh, while many places in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, UP and some places in Rajasthan were lashed by showers, with the weather department predicting more snowfall in the higher reaches.
About 400 vehicles, including some buses, were stranded between Rohtang Pass and Solang Nallah due to snow, and stranded tourists were trying to reach Manali on foot. Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir recorded a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, even as some parts of the state got some relief from the intense cold conditions.
Leh registered a minimum of minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, while nearby Kargil town recorded a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius. Srinagar too recorded a minimum temperature of 0.5 degrees Celsius. Despite severe cold, long queues of voters were seen outside the polling stations in J&K.
Many parts in Punjab and Haryana also received first showers of the season, breaking the dry spell of winter in the region. Chandigarh, Phagwara, Hisar and Bhiwani received light rain.