In photos: Severe cold wave grips north India - bbc.com

Boatmen use oars to break an partially frozen surface of Dal Lake on a cold morning on January 5, 2023 in Srinagar, India. Temperatures dip further in Kashmir, Srinagar records seasons coldest night at Minus 6.4.(Photo By Waseem Andrabi/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

A severe cold wave has gripped many parts of northern India, with temperatures plummeting to -6C (21F) in Indian-administered Kashmir. The famous Dal Lake, as seen in the picture above, has partially frozen, making it hard for boatmen to ferry passengers and tourists.

Icicles seen formed due to the leakage in a water pipe on a cold morning on December 22, 2022 in Srinagar, India. Kashmir reels under freezing weather as mercury plunges to minus 5.5°C in Srinagar. (

Water pipelines have frozen in some parts of Kashmir, road transport has been severely affected and supply chains have been disrupted, making it hard for local communities to meet their daily needs.

Homeless people wrapped in layers of quilts to warm up themselves while others sleep in the open under an overpass on a coldest night on January, 04, 2023 in New Delhi, India. Weather station observatory recorded the season's lowest as temperature plunges to 4.4 degrees Celsius. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

India's capital Delhi has also been reeling under a severe cold wave. Some areas of Delhi have recorded temperatures as low as 2.2C. The cold snap has been particularly hard for Delhi's homeless people who mostly sleep on pavements.

Train moving at Kot village railway line amid thick fog on January 4, 2023 in Ghaziabad, India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted prevalence of severe cold weather conditions, along with dense to very dense fog over northwest India during the next four to five days. (Photo by Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Dropping temperatures and dense fog have also disrupted train schedules. India Railways carries some 23 million passengers daily and it's considered the backbone of the country's transport system. Several trains have been running late - sometimes by six to 10 hours - in northern India, throwing people's travel plans into chaos.

People seen wearing warm clothes on a cold morning at sector 59 on January 4, 2023 in Noida, India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted prevalence of severe cold weather conditions, along with dense to very dense fog over northwest India during the next four to five days.

The cold wave has also been causing serious health issues, especially in Delhi which also sees severe pollution levels during winter months.

An Indian farmer works in the field during cold weather on New Year morning in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India on 01 January 2023. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The north-western state of Rajasthan has also been witnessing a severe drop in temperatures. Farmers there say it has affected their work and harvests.

: Commuters are seen during a foggy winter day at Golden Gate, on January 3, 2022 in Amritsar, India. (Photo by Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times via Gett

The holy city of Amritsar has also been engulfed in dese fog in the past few days. Transport services, including trains and buses, have been badly hit.

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