New Delhi, December 25
Bone-chilling cold intensified across North India today allowing no respite to people soaked in the yuletide spirit even as the extreme weather claimed three more lives, taking the countrywide death toll this winter to 131.

The fresh deaths were reported overnight from Uttar Pradesh, which has so far accounted for 91 fatalities.

Delhiites shivered on the morning of Christmas as mercury plunged to the coldest of the season at 2.9°C, five notches below normal, the MeT office said. The city recorded a maximum of 20.3°C.

Hisar in Haryana and Amritsar in Punjab recorded minimum temperatures of 0°C and 0.6°C, respectively, both readings being a few notches below normal.

Narnaul recorded a low of 0.5°C, down by five degrees, while the minimum at Ambala settled at 3°C, down by four notches, the local weather office said.

In Kashmir Valley, Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of -4.8°C, which was the coldest night in the city so far this season.

The tourist resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of -9.8°C, while in the remote Leh district of Ladakh region, the minimum temperature dropped by a degree to settle at -16.2°C, the MeT Dept said.

In the desert state of Rajasthan, Churu continued to remain the coldest place, registering a minimum of -1.4°C, followed by Pilani at 0.3°C.

Sriganganagar recorded a low of 0.6°C while Phalodi, Bikaner, Sikar and Jaisalmer had a low of 4, 4.2, 4.8 and 5.4°C, respectively.

Other places in the state also recorded minimum temperatures in the range of 6.1°C to 13.2°C, according to the MeT Dept here.

Meanwhile, most parts of Himachal Pradesh continued to shiver under severe cold wave conditions, but a "White Christmas" eluded state capital Shimla, disappointing locals and thousands of tourists who have thronged the town to enjoy the snow. — PTI