Parts of north India remained under the grip of cold weather on Friday as temperature dipped further in several hilly areas in the country, including in Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir where many areas saw mercury dropping below zero degree Celsius.

North India is shivering under a severe cold wave, with temperatures plummeting in states like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana are expected to see severe cold temperatures and heavy rainfall, according to the weather service. The districts of Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Mandi in Himachal Pradesh are under an orange alert,

Severe cold wave conditions continued to grip northern Indian states, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday. However, popular tourist destinations such as Srinagar and Shimla were disappointed to miss out on the allure of a "white Christmas.

North India experiences severe cold wave conditions, with Srinagar and Shimla missing out on a "white Christmas."