Cold claims one life in Punjab: Mercury dips in Capital

New Delhi, Dec 19 (UNI) Punjab witnessed one more death due to cold wave today taking the toll to 11 in the north-west region as the mercury fell in the Capital.

Thirty six people have died so far in Uttar Pradesh.

It was another chilly morning here in Capital as the cold Easterly winds led to a drop in minimum temperature from 7.9 degree Celsius yesterday to 6.5 degree, which was slightly below normal.

The maximum temperature also dropped to 23 degree from 23.6 degree yesterday.

Certain areas of north-west were enveloped in thick fog reducing visibility considerably in these areas. The visibility was zero at Halwara and upto 100 metres at Udhampur and Sarsawa, 300 metres at Hindon, 800 metres at Adampur and Ambala.

In Punjab, the minimum hovered four degrees below normal at Ludhiana recording 2.6 degrees. Jalandhar also recorded 2.6 degrees as icy winds swept the town.

The minimum stayed two degrees below normal at Patiala and Amritsar, respectively recording 5.1 degrees and 3.0 degrees.

The minimum also plummeted in Haryana with Narnaul recording 3.0 degrees while Ambala showed 6.3 degrees, one degree below normal, and Karnal 5.4 degrees, three degrees below normal.

Several areas in Himachal Pradesh were also reeling under the cold wave. People in the tribal districts of Lahaul spiti and Kinnaur and Pangi valley and Bharmour area in Chamba district were facing biting cold wave as the minimum hovered below freezing point in these areas.

Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded the minimum at 2.0 degrees while Bhuntar in Kullu district reported 1.0 degrees.

Shimla was comparatively warmer with the minimum hovering at 8.3 degrees in the capital town.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana were also under the impact of cold weather conditions with the mercury hovering two degrees below normal. The city recorded the minimum at 5.4 degrees.

Kashmir valley also continued to be in the grip of cold wave with Srinagar recording minus 2.9 degrees.

In Rajasthan, cold winds in the night made the temperatures dip two degree in the state capital, mapping 6.1 degrees.

Ganganagar recorded a temperature of 5.4 degree, a fall of three degrees from yesterday with Churu remaining the coldest in the state, at 4.5 degrees.

According to weather department, Mount Abu recorded five degrees, Pilani 5.4, Dabok 9, Barmer 8 and Kota 11.9 degree . Jaisalmer and Jodhpur recorded 12 degrees, a rise of two degrees from yesterday. Ajmer was cold at eleven degrees.

In north-east parts of the country an upper air through Arunachal Pradesh to the north of the Bay of Bengal across Asom, Meghalaya and Mizoram led to sudden sudden drop in temperature across the region with Aizawl recording a maximum temparature of 18 degree and minimum of 11 degrees.

UNI Team SK RP PM1951