Bitter cold maintained its firm grip across north India on Monday, including the national capital, with the mercury settling below normal levels at most places in the region.

Delhi continued to reel under intense cold though the minimum temperature rose marginally from Sunday's 2.9 deg C to 3.4 degrees, which was four notches below normal.

In Haryana, Hisar and Karnal recorded lows of 2.4 deg C and 3.4 deg C respectively. Amritsar in Punjab shivered at a minimum temperature of 2.6 degrees.

In Kashmir the mercury in Srinagar plummeted to minus 4.9 degrees, the season's lowest. Leh district in Ladakh region also recorded the season's lowest temperature with the minimum dipping to minus 18.2 deg C. Kargil registered a low of minus 14.4 deg C.

Elsewhere, Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 8.4 deg C, Pahalgam minus 7.4 deg C and Qazigund minus 5.6 deg C.

In the desert state of Rajasthan, Churu remained the coldest zone recording a minimum temperature of minus 0.7 deg C. The cold wave gripping northern and eastern regions has claimed 131 lives so far this winter.