Dal lake partially frozen as cold wave sweeps through North

New Delhi, Dec 18 (UNI) The world famous Dal Lake in Kashmir remained partially frozen as the cold wave maintained its icy grip on Northwest India with the death toll in the season reaching 46 today.

The temperature in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh touched a low of minus 0.2 degrees Celsius.

One more death was reported in Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh reported 37 deaths this winter, Gujarat six, Himachal two and Punjab one.

A beggar succumbed due to cold in the state capital of UP in the last 24 hours.

Agra was recorded coldest in the state with a minimum temperature of 2.6 degree, which was five degree below normal.

According to reports, the cold wave continued to grip north-west India following further fall in the temperature in the region.

People groaned under cold wave conditions as the minimum temperature stayed one degrees to five degrees below normal at many places in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh Union Territory.

The minimum fell by five degrees at Ludhiana, four degrees at Patiala, Ambala and Narnaul and three degrees at Chandigarh and Rohtak.

A piercing cold wave lashed Punjab following decline in the mercury. The minimum temperature remained static at 0.6 degrees at Adampur, near Jalandhar, which turned out to be the coldest place in the region.

Ludhiana recorded 2.2 degrees while Patiala and Amritsar registered 2.6 degrees each.

Cold wave conditions prevailed in Haryana with Ambala turning the coldest place recording 2.9 degrees while Narnaul and Rohtak showed 3.0 degrees each. Hissar reported 5.8 degrees.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana continued to reel under cold wave as the temperature further dipped in the city to 3.0 degrees from 5.4 degrees recorded yesterday. Cold winds blew across the city during the day.

Himachal Pradesh was also under the imapct of cold wave with Bhuntar in Kullu district rcording 0.4 degrees, one degree below normal while Sundernagar in Mandi district registered minus 0.2 degrees.

Cold wave conditions due to cloudy sky, coupled with unscheduled power cuts, water shortage and price rise of woolen clothes and coal have affected life in the Kashmir valley.

People in Leh, Kargil and Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, continued to shiver after the temperature dipped to minus 16 degrees.

After witnessing the coldest night with the mercury dipping to minus 5.4 degrees yesterday, the minimum temperature was normal today, a weather office spokesperson told UNI.

Parts of Dal Lake remained partially frozen because of drop in the day temperature due to icy cold winds sweeping the region.

Drass continued to shiver after the temperature dipped to minus 20 degrees at some places.

At Leh and Kargil the minimum fell to minus 16 degrees.

People at several places in the Kashmir valley took to streets in protest against unscheduled power cuts.

Severe chill maintained its grip on the national capital with the mercury dipping to 4.4 degrees.

The minimum matched Sunday's temperature which was the season's coldest so far.

The maximum, however, increased by a degree from yesterday's 21 degrees Celsius but was still one degree below normal.

Meanwhile, night temperature in the capital of Bihar fell sharply in the last few days due to cold westerly winds.

UNI