India, Jan. 24 -- As a severe cold wave continues to grip northern and northwest India, Rajasthan's only hill station, Mount Abu, witnessed extreme winter conditions on Saturday, with frost blanketing grasslands and thick layers of ice forming over ponds and small water bodies after temperatures plunged sharply over the past few days.

Contrary to the usual seasonal trend of easing winter conditions after Basant Panchami, Mount Abu has experienced intensifying cold. Following a sharp dip on Friday, Saturday morning turned out to be the coldest of the current winter, with the minimum temperature reportedly plunging to minus 7 degrees Celsius, the lowest reading of the season so far.

The severity of the cold was visible across the region a...