The Hindu : New Delhi News : Cold wave intensifies in North

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 29, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Cold wave intensifies in North

NEW DELHI, DEC. 28. Biting cold wave further tightened its grip over North India today, claiming nine more lives in Uttar Pradesh, as mercury plummeted below normal in many places of the region and tribal valleys of Himachal Pradesh received fresh snowfall.

Five people died of cold in Kanpur dehat and one each in Jaunpur, Kanpur, Hardoi and Kalpi in Uttar Pradesh since yesterday, taking the toll to 52 during this season, reports from State Capital Lucknow said.

Several places shivered under icy winds with Sultanpur recording three degree Celsius, seven degrees below normal, remaining the coldest place in the State. The industrial city of Kanpur recorded its coldest day of the season with 4.6 degree Celsius.

Air and road traffic was adversely affected by dense fog and trains were running behind schedule.

Cold and dense fog played havoc with the normal life in Punjab and Haryana as Amritsar continued to shiver at below normal with mercury recording the lowest five degree Celsius in the region, Met office said.

In Haryana, Ambala had the lowest temperature with mercury plummeting to 5.9 degree Celsius. Most parts in the region including Pathankot, Adampur, Ambala, Hindon, Sirsa and Bathinda remained engulfed by dense fog reducing visibility to a few metres and affecting rail and road traffic.

After two clear days, fog also returned to the capital this morning forcing cancellation of seven trains, even as the mercury dipped to a new low.

Fog engulfed most of the capital just after dawn but spared the Palam area, where the airport is located, allowing flight operations to carry on as scheduled. The minimum temperature plummeted to a new low of 5.1 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal.

The intense cold wave sweeping Himachal Pradesh continued unabated with tribal valleys of Lahaul, Spiti and Pangi receiving fresh snowfall even as the temperature rose moderately in mid-hills providing some relief to the people.

Capital Shimla recorded minimum temperature of 6.5 degree Celsius while the minimum tempetrature ranged between minus 15 and minus 22 degrees Celsius in the tribal valleys.

In Rajasthan, minimum temperature fell to freezing point in Pilani.

Jharkhand Capital Ranchi also recorded the season's lowest temperature with 5.4 degree Celsius.

-- PTI

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