Man dies due to cold in HP, cold abates in northern plains

New Delhi, Jan 19 (UNI) A man died due to cold in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district last night taking the toll across the country to 180 though the cold wave abated in the plains of northwest India as the mercury rose in Haryana.

A 49-year-old person, identified as Madan Lal, died of intense cold when he was on his way to Bohran village in the district last night. The post mortem examination of the body had confirmed death due to intense cold, sources said adding that the body bore no injury marks.

Altogether 20 deaths were reported in the cold snap in Punjab and Haryana, 120 in Uttar Pradesh, 35 in Bihar and five in North Bengal.

In Punjab, Amritsar, where the minimum temperature had plunged below zero degrees in the season, continued to be the coldest place in the plains recording 2.3 degrees celsius, one degree more than yesterday but three degree below normal.

In Himachal Pradesh, the continuous dry spell is increasing the minimum temperatures across the state with night temperature in Shimla rising to 4.5 degree Celsius, the met office said.

The met office said minimum and maximum temperatures were rising due to continous dry spell in the state after intermittent mild snow at higher altitude areas and rains at isolated places in the state yesterday.

The minimum temperatures at Sundernagar and Bhuntar rose to 1.7 and one degree Celsius from point five and point four degree respectively.

In Punjab, the mercury fell slightly at Patiala and recorded 6.8 while Ludhiana maintained yesterday's 7.7 degrees C.

In Haryana, where the cold wave is abating, the mercury showed steady rise with minimum at Ambala recording 6.3 degrees, Hissar touching 9.3 degrees, while Narnaul in Mahendergarh district showed 5.0 degrees.

The minimum temperature fell in Chandigarh to 7 degree from 8.6 degrees recorded yesterday.

The cold wave conditions sweeping Uttar Pradesh for the last couple of days continued in the state.

According to weatherman, in the absence of humidity, the dry weather would continue in UP.

Mercury plummeted at night in Allahabad, Faizabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra, Sultanpur and Gorakhpur districts.

The tent city of Prayag -- at 5.6 degrees C -- 4 degrees below normal -- was the coldest place in UP.

The temple town Varanasi recorded 8.0 degrees, which was 2 degrees below normal. Sultanpur recorded 6.4 degrees.

A report from Sangam, Allahabad said dry icy winds lashed the state, making people shiver even during the day despite bright sunshine.

In Rajasthan, the minimum temperature rose by a few degrees at many places.

Mount Abu has remained the coldest place with 4 degrees while Jaipur and Churu recorded 7, Dholpur, Udaipur and Pilani in Jhunjhunu 8, Bharatpur, Ganganagar 9, Jhalawar and Bikaneer 10, Sawai Madhopur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur 11, Ajmer and Kota 12, and Barmer recorded 13 degrees C.

The upper reaches in the Kashmir valley experienced heavy snowfall while most parts in north Kashmir, including the world famous ski resort of Gulmarg, exerienced light snowfall.

Several roads to far-flung and border areas, including Keran and Karnah, were closed due to heavy snowfall.

The snowfall resulted in a drop in the maximum temperature, which was three to four degree above normal during the past two weeks.

There was however considerable improvement in the minimum temperature, a weather office spokesman in Srinagar said.

A report from Baramulla said about two-and-a-half feet of fresh snowfall was recorded at Sadhna top, linking border town of Karnah with the rest of the valley. The road had been closed and efforts are being made to reopen it.

The world famous ski resort of Gulmarg experienced about six inches of snowfall, the first this year.

Baramulla, Kupwara and Handwara also experienced few inches of snowfall.

Heavy snowfall was also recorded at holy Amarnath cave and its periphery, Sheshnag, Mahaguns, Panjtherni and Pisso top.

The Zojila pass on the Srinagar-Drass-Kargil-Leh road also experienced heavy snowfall. The road has been closed for six winter months on November 15 last year. However, Drass-Leh remained open despite snowfall.

The national capital seems to be heading for yet another weekend of severe chill.

The mercury rose to one degree above normal at 7.7 degrees, the minimum temperature again fell sharply to 6.3 degrees C, one degree below normal.

A slight fog was also witnessed in the morning though visibility levels remained normal at 800 m.

UNI