New Delhi, December 30
The mercury went into a free fall in North India with temperatures hitting a new low in Delhi, while Srinagar experiencing its coldest night of the season.

The National Capital recorded its lowest minimum in a decade for December with the mercury dipping to 2.4 °C this morning, five degrees below normal.

Punjab and Haryana also grappled with the freezing cold as the mercury slipped to the season’s lowest at most places.

Adampur in Punjab was the coldest place across the two states with the mercury settling at -2.4 °C, the season’s lowest, which was six notches below normal.

Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts of Himachal Pradesh received mild snowfall causing a further drop in the mercury. Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti and Kalpa in Kinnaur recorded lows of -8.9 °C and -5 °C, respectively.

Narnaul and Hisar in Haryana reeled under sub-zero temperatures of -0.5 °C and -0.1 °C, respectively, both down seven notches from the normal. Bhiwani experienced the season's coldest night at 0.8 °C.

In Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar, mercury dropped to -5.3 °C. Kargil in Ladakh was the coldest place in the state at -18.9 °C, while Leh recorded its lowest minimum this winter at -17.7 °C. — PTI