Icy cold continues its grip over north India: toll 194

New Delhi, Jan 31 (UNI) Six more deaths were reported, taking the nationwide toll to 194 as an icy cold wave continued its grip over north India, with the mercury falling to a record low in Uttar Pradesh.

The nationwide toll due to the unabated cold wave stood at 194 with 137 deaths reported in Uttar Pradesh, 21 in Jammu and Kashmir, 15 in Gujarat, ten in Himachal Pradesh, four each in Bihar and Punjab and one in Sikkim.

In Uttar Pradesh, mercury fell below freezing point as cold wave continued unabated in the state. The mercury fell below freezing point in Saharanpur breaking all the previous records this season.

UP is currently reeling under extreme cold due to rains in upper reaches of Uttarakhand.

According to reports, cold wave killed three persons, including two siblings, in Siddharthnagar and a youth in Gorakhpur.

In Gujarat, cold wave has claimed two lives in last 24 hours.

Saurashtra, Kutch and North Gujarat are reeling under the cold wave for last fortnight. Two more death during wee hours yesterday have been reported one in Palanpur while the other in Amirgadh 40 km from here.

The minimum temperature hovered below normal by two degrees to seven degrees in Punjab and Haryana. Chilly winds swept across the region even as the Sun shone bright during the day.

Certain areas in the region, including Sarsawa and Palam in Delhi, were enveloped in fog reducing visibility considerably in these areas.

Night temperatures stayed low in Punjab with Adampur and Amritsar respectively recording minus 0.6 degrees and minus 0.5 degrees, six degrees below normal.

The minimum settled at 1.3 degrees, seven degrees below normal, at Patiala and at 1.5 degrees, six degrees down at Ludhiana. Halwara airbase, Bhatinda and Pathankot recorded the minimum temperatures at 2.4 degrees after a fall in the mercury.

The minimum also plummeted in Haryana with Narnaul recording 0.5 degrees, five degrees below normal, while Ambala and Karnal registered 1.6 degrees and 1.8 degrees respectively which were six degrees below normal.

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