Cold wave has intensified in North India. Thick fog disrupted road and rail traffic at several places.

In Uttar Pradesh, six more people succumbed to the piercing cold during the past 24 hours pushing the state-wide death count to 26. Fog hampered movement of road and rail traffic in several parts of the state. Meerut was the coldest place recording a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius.

Delhiites are experiencing the coldest conditions of this season with night temperature falling three degrees below normal. Fog further added to the problems of the people.

Cold wave intensified in Punjab and Haryana with minimum temperatures dipping up to five degrees at many places. Met office said, Hisar and Rohtak were coldest places in the region with mercury settling at 1.6 degree C, five degrees below normal.

As fog engulfed parts of the two states, visibility reduced to even less than 50 metres especially in Patiala, Ambala and Karnal. Chandigarh recorded a minimum temperature of 5.3 deg C, 2 notches below normal yesterday.

Chill swept the Kashmir Valley with the skiing resort of Gulmarg recording a minimum of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius.

The tourist resort of Pahalgam reeled at minus 4.6 degrees Celsius. Met office said, water supply lines in Srinagar froze as the minimum settled at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius in the summer capital.

In Leh district of Ladakh region, the mercury plunged to a low of minus 9.0 degrees Celsius.

Rajasthan reeled under cold conditions with Churu recording a low of 1.8 degrees Celsius followed by Pilani.

Cold wave conditions persisted in Bihar where several trains have been cancelled or rescheduled due to foggy conditions. The state government has closed all government schools till December 25 in view of the cold.

Severe cold gripped Jharkhand with mercury plummeting to 1.8 degree Celsius in Kanke located on the outskirts of Ranchi. The state capital also experienced chilly night with the minimum temperature settling at 5.8 degree Celsius.