Intense cold conditions in North West India: UP toll 67

New Delhi, Jan 3 (UNI) The winter death toll in Uttar Pradesh mounted to 67 with five deaths in the past 24 hours, as biting cold wave conditions continued to lash North-West India today, affecting surface communication at many places.

As many as 16 people have died due to the cold wave and fog-related incidents in Punjab and Haryana so far.

The entire Uttar Pradesh reeled under a cold wave for the fifth consecutive day as the intense cold claimed five more lives since yesterday.

A report from Allahabad said two people died of cold under Police Lines and Dhoomanganj police station areas. So far, four people have died of cold in this district.

Three persons died of cold in Bhadohi district.

All schools and colleges have been closed for two days in the UP capital and other districts of the state due to the cold weather.

Allahabad at 6 degrees was the coldest place in UP for the fourth consecutive day.

Visibility was nil at Udhampur, Amritsar, Pathankot, Adampur and upto 100 metres at Sarsawa, 400 metres at Ambala, 500 metres at Palam (Delhi), 600 metres at Jammu and 800 metres at Bhatinda and Hindon.

The temperature stayed low in Punjab and the minimum hovered five degree below normal at Amritsar recording minus 0.5 degrees celsius, turning it the coldest place in the state. Ludhiana recorded five degrees below normal temperature at 1.5 degree and Patiala was 5.1 degree.

A cold wave also swept Haryana with the minimum temperature plummeting two to three degrees below normal. The mercury fell to 4.3 degrees at Ambala, 5.2 degrees at Karnal and 5.5 degrees at Hissar.

The cold wave intensified in Himachal Pradesh with many areas recording a sharp fall in the mercury.wave. People in Lahaul spiti and Kinnaur and Pangi valley and Bharmour area in Chamba district were facing harsh cold wave conditions as the minimum hovered below freezing point in these areas.

Intense cold wave conditions prevailed in Mandi, Kullu and Kangra districts. Kullu district reported minus 0.7 degrees. Icy-cold winds lashed Shimla recording a minimum of 3.3 degrees.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana were also under the imapct of a cold wave with the mercury hovering three degrees below normal. The minimum dipped to 4.2 degrees in the city from 6.4 degrees recorded yesterday.

The Kashmir valley continued to be in the grip of a cold wave with Srinagar recording minus 3.7 degrees while Jammu registered 3.5 degrees, five degrees below normal.

Night in Kashmir, Drass and Kargil was cold and the day warm.

The day was comparatively warm as the maximum temperature was recorded at 10.5 degrees, 5.5 degrees above normal.

In Rajasthan, Churu in Shekhawati belt shivered as temperature plummeted to 1.9 degree, remaining the coldest place in the state today. Temperatures dipped in several other places intensifying the cold wave.

The cold wave, sweeping through Delhi over the past week, intensified with the mercury plummeting to 6 degrees, one degree below normal, even as the fog abated this morning.

Cold northwesterly winds, coupled with ground frost conditions prevailing over Punjab, North Haryana and North Rajasthan, resulted in a sharp fall in minimum temperature, from 8.6 degree yesterday, to 6 degree today.

Most regions of Madhya Pradesh had a respite from biting cold except the Chambal region where mercury dipped by four degrees due to chilly northwestern winds.

North Bengal is reeling under a cold wave with Darjeeling, Coochbehar and Siliguri experiencing the coldest day of the season so far today.

UNI