North India shivers under severe cold wave
What's the story
North India is currently reeling under a severe cold wave, with temperatures plummeting across several states. However, popular tourist destinations like Srinagar and Shimla didn't get the much-anticipated "white Christmas."
In Srinagar, the mercury dipped to -7.3°C, while Tabo in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti district recorded a chilling -10.6°C.
The cold wave has mainly affected Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Weather update
Delhi records above-average temperatures, Kashmir freezes
In Delhi, the maximum temperature on Christmas Day was slightly above the seasonal average at 22.4°C. However, the minimum temperature plummeted to 8.4°C, which is below normal for this time of year.
Meanwhile, Kashmir is reeling under intense cold conditions, which have caused water bodies and supply lines to freeze.
The region is currently experiencing 'Chillai-Kalan,' a harsh 40-day winter period that started on December 21.
Tourism impact
Tourists disappointed by lack of snowfall in Srinagar
Despite the severe cold, tourists have been disappointed over the lack of snowfall in Srinagar this season.
"Kashmir used to have white Christmas and it was great, but this year, there has been no snowfall in Srinagar," Poonam, a tourist from Jammu, lamented.
Hopes for a white Christmas were similarly dashed in Shimla as well.
Road disruptions
Snowfall in Himachal Pradesh leads to road closures
In Himachal Pradesh, snowfall led to the closure of 134 roads, including three national highways.
Shimla district witnessed the maximum number of road closures at 123.
The state also experienced power supply disruptions as 173 transformers were affected by the extreme weather conditions.
Weather conditions
Rajasthan experiences dense fog, light rain
Rajasthan also witnessed dense fog in several regions as cold conditions prevailed. Light rains were witnessed in eastern Rajasthan in the last 24 hours.
In Punjab, Faridkot recorded a minimum temperature of 4.2°C while Amritsar and Gurdaspur were a tad warmer.
Haryana's Narnaul was the coldest place with a minimum temperature of 5.2°C and Chandigarh recorded a low of 7.4°C too during this cold wave.