New Delhi: Wind-swept North India remained wrapped in bitter cold with mercury settling below normal at many places as road link between Kashmir Valley and rest of the country remained snapped for the seventh day on Saturday.

The prolonged cold spell in the North had its telling effect on Maharashtra where Nasik shivered at a low of 4.6 degrees Celsius .

There was no respite for Mumbaikars too with the mercury touching 8.6 degrees in the country’s financial capital.

The temperature in the metropolis on Friday had dipped to 8.5 degrees Celsius, perhaps the lowest in 48 years.

Over 1700 civilians and security force personnel stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only surface link with Kashmir, were airlifted to the Valley.

The highway remained shut for the seventh consecutive day on Saturday owing to hillslides, triggered by heavy snowing, at many places.

The hill resort of Pahalgam reeled at numbing minus 16 degrees Celsius followed by Kupwara at minus 8.4, Bhaderwah at minus 7.8, Banihal at minus 7.7, Qazigund at minus 6.8, Batote at minus four and Srinagar at minus 3.4.

Biting cold wave gripping Punjab and Haryana showed no signs of tapering off with frequent power outages compounding the ordeal of denizes.

Amritsar was the coldest place in Punjab with the minimum touching 0.1 degree Celsius, six notches below normal, as Adampur shivered at 1.8 degrees.

Ambala and Karnal in Haryana battled the chill recording lows of three and 3.2 degrees Celsius respectively.

The piercing cold in Rajasthan persisted with mercury continuing its downward swing at most places in the State.

Hill resort of Mount Abu reeled under freezing cold as icy gusts forced denizens to cover themselves with thick woollens to beat the chill.

There was no let up in cold wave in Himachal with most places, including tribal areas in higher reaches, recording sub-zero temperatures.

Keylong and Kinnaur towns groaned under minus 11.3 and minus 7.2 degrees Celsius respectively. PTI

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