Cold wave continues in North India; death toll reaches 90

New Delhi, Jan 4 (UNI) North India continued to reel under an icy cold wave with four fresh deaths being reported from Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours taking the countrywide toll during the season to 90.

Seventy three deaths in the cold wave were reported in the cold wave from Uttar Pradesh while 17 from Punjab and Haryana.

Though the fog disappeared clearing up the sky, the entire UP reeled under a cold wave for the sixth consecutive day.

Reports said two people died of cold in Bareilly, and one each in Basti and Badaun districts during the last 24 hrs.

Amausi Airport sources here said fog has disrupted flights schedules. There have been myriad occasions when flights have arrived with half the load as frustated passengers cancelled their tickets.

The cold wave continued unabated in the north-west today with mercury dipping two degrees to five degrees Celsius below normal at many places in the region.

Dense fog enveloped certain areas in the north west region of the country, reducing visibility to nil at Udhampur and upto 500 metres at Adampur and Palam (Delhi) and 800 metres at Suratgarh. Jammu, Pathankot, Ambala and Chandigarh experienced haze while Amritsar, Halwara, Sarsawa, Sirsa and Bathinda reported mist.

For the second successive day, Amritsar continued to be the coldest place in Punjab as the minimum temperature remained almost static in the holy city recording minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal.

A severe cold wave swept the state in the wake of further fall in mercury. The minimum hovered below normal by four degrees at Ludhiana and two degrees at Patiala, respectively, recording 1.9 degrees and 4.5 degrees Celsius.

Several areas in Himachal Pradesh reeled under intense cold wave conditions following a further drop in mercury. The entire tribal belt in the state was under the impact of extreme cold wave conditions as the minimum hovered below freezing point in the tribal areas. Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district recorded minus 3.9 degrees Celsius.

The cold wave also intensified in Jammu and Kashmir with Srinagar recording minus 4.3 degrees, three degrees below normal, while Jammu registered 4.2 degrees, four degrees below normal.

The cold wave continued without a let-up in Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana even as a bright sunshine greeted the people during the day. The city recorded the minimum at 4.0 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal.

Mercury remained below normal in Delhi for the second consecutive day even as the fog enveloping the skyline over the past three days cleared up.

Though the minimum temperature today slightly rose to 6.2 degrees from yesterday's 6 degrees, it was still one degree below normal.

Cold northwesterly winds, coupled with ground frost conditions prevailing over Northwest India, maintained a severe chill in the air.

The maximum temperature at 20.5 degrees was also nearly two degrees below normal.

''Night temperatures are likely to increase leading to abatement of cold wave and frost conditions during the next 1-2 days,''the Met office said.

With the winter season at its peak, arrangements are being put in place by the Northern Railways and the Airports Authority of India to tackle low visibility conditions arising out of dense fog conditions accompanying a drop in mercury during the season.

In view of the foggy weather, the Northern Railways have cancelled several trains from January 6 to 31.

Snowfall in the upper reaches of the Himalaya has resulted in a biting cold wave for Rajasthan.

Churu remained the coldest for the second consecutive day, touching 2.7 degrees. The state capital recorded a fall of two degrees, mapping 3 degrees, keeping the people indoors in the early hours today.

Manipur experienced cold wintry nights and temperate days this winter with the maximum temperature hovering around 24 degrees.

UNI