Temp rises across north India

New Delhi, Dec 22 (UNI) After the cold wave which gripped North India, night temperatures rose markedly, giving people the much needed respite from the wintry conditions, with a sunny weekend in the offing for Delhiites.

The night temperatures rose appreciably in many areas in north-west India but dipped to 0.2 degrees Celsius at Amritsar, turning the holy city as the coldest place in the plains.

In Punjab, the minimum temperatures rose and hovered three degrees above normal at Ludhiana and Patiala, respectively recording 8.8 and 8.7 degrees.

In Haryana, Ambala, Karnal, Hissar, Narnaul and Rohtak registered increase in the night temperatures. Ambala recorded 7.7 degrees, Karnal 9.6 degrees, Hissar 9.6 degrees, Narnaul 7.0 degrees and Rohtak 9.2 degrees.

Parts of Himachal Pradesh reported a decline in the temperatures with Bhuntar in Kullu district registering 1.6 degrees and Sundernagar in Mandi district 2.1 degrees. The mercury, however, rose at state capital Shimla to 7.8 degrees.

Cold winds swept Chandigarh city which registered a minimum of 9.6 degrees.

At least three people were feared drowned, when a truck, they were travelling in, flipped off a railing in poor visibility due to fog and plunged into Hajara canal in Etah, Uttar Pradesh.

The mercury in Delhi shot up to three degrees above normal at 10.9 Degree Celsius.

With the change in wind pattern due to western disturbances, the minimum temperature in Rajasthan rose several degrees in the last few days. Churu remained the coldest place with a minimum temperature of five degrees while the temperature in Jaipur rose to 11 degrees.

A slight rise in the temperature has brought respite from biting cold in most parts of Madhya Pradesh.

In the state capital, maximum and minimum temperatures of 28.4 C and 10.4 C were recorded.

Ujjain turned out to be the coldest place overnight with a minimum of five degrees being recorded.

In Patna, people felt respite from biting cold as minimum temperature hovered around 9 degrees.

It was another sunny day in Delhi as the minimum temperature shot up to 10.9 degrees.

The minimum temperature in certain parts of south, north and western Orissa dipped far below the normal temperature. Bhubaneswar recorded a minimum temperature of 14.2 degrees.

Rain or thundershowers have occurred at most places in Lakshadweep, isolated places in Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Heavy rains are likely to occur at many places in Lakshadweep.

Mainly dry weather prevailed over the Gujarat State, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Cold wave conditions prevailed at isolated places in Jharkhand.

Night temperatures were appreciably below normal in Jammu and were below normal in some parts of Assam, Meghalaya, interior Orissa and west Madhya Pradesh.

The nationwide toll stood at 75, with Uttar Pradesh reporting 59 deaths this winter, Gujarat six, Bihar and Punjab four each and Himachal Pradesh two.

UNI