Rains coupled with snowfall today aggravated cold wave conditions in parts of north India where sub-zero temperatures in Kashmir Valley claimed two more lives.

In Delhi, the maximum temperature dipped three degrees below normal at 18 deg C, while the minimum settled at 11.9 degrees.

Kashmir Valley reeled under intense cold with the minimum in Srinagar plummeting to minus 5.5 deg C, the coldest night in the city this winter.

Higher reaches in Himachal Pradesh continued to experience intermittent snowfall with day temperatures dropping across the state following rains.

In an unusual phenomenon, a few pockets in Punjab bordering Himachal Pradesh received snow flakes, which MeT officials attributed to change of wind direction favoured by low temperature.

Most of Punjab shivered under severe chill with holy town Amritsar recording a minimum of two deg Celcius.

In Haryana, Ambala registered a low of 7.7 deg C while the minimum at Karnal was nine degrees.

Mercury dipped appreciably across Uttar Pradesh as several places witnessed light rain and thundershower during the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, power supply has been restored to several areas in Kashmir valley. The valley had plunged into darkness due to collapse of the power infrastructure due to heavy snowfall. Minister of State for Power, Shabir Khan express the hope to restore electric supply in more areas in valley by this evening.

Cut off from the rest of the country due to closure of Jammu-Srinagar National highway, normal life in Kashmir came to grinding halt with power, water, internet and communication services badly hit by the heavy snowfall yesterday.

There was a major power supply failure in the Kashmir Valley in view of the major transmission lines at Pir Panchal ranges and several grid stations being affected by heavy snowfall.