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Cold wave tightens grip on North India

Adampur in Punjab freezes at minus 4 degrees; 7 more die of cold in Uttar Pradesh

CHANDIGARH: Temperatures in Adampur in Jalandhar district plummetted to a 34-year low of minus 4 degree Celsius and seven people died in U.P. as severe cold wave conditions gripped most places in north India today.

People groaned under icy cold conditions which Adampur had last witnessed on January 6, 1972 when the mercury had plunged to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, a report from Jalandhar quoting Meteorological Department sources said. The cold wave also swept Amritsar, which saw the minimum drop to minus 2.1 degrees, six degrees below normal.

Frost had accumulated in parts of Adampur and Amritsar early this morning.

Ludhiana and Patiala did not get any respite either as the minimum settled at 1.5 degrees and 1.3 degrees respectively, both down by six degrees each.

Even though Chandigarh has been enjoying bright sunshine for the past two days, the cold wave further intensified here with the minimum dropping to 1.8, five degrees below normal.

There was no respite from the cold wave for most places in Haryana, with Karnal turning out to be the coldest with a low of 1.3 degrees. While Hisar recorded a minimum of 3.1 degrees, Ambala had a low of 3.8 degrees. The National Capital, Delhi, also witnessed a cold night at 4 degrees, down three degrees below normal.

In U.P., cold wave conditions further intensified in Uttar Pradesh today with mercury plummeting to six degrees below normal claiming seven more lives and taking the toll in the state this season to 99.

While two persons each died of the cold in Sant Kabirnagar and Azamgarh, one person each died in Banda, Lakhimpur Kheri and Mahoba since yesterday.

Agra with one degree Celsius recorded the lowest temperature this season while minimum temperature fell markedly in Gorakhpur, Agra, Varanasi, Allahabad and Lucknow, metereological office sources here said.

The weather office has predicted low pressure with ground frost in few places in west and isolated places in east Uttar Pradesh during the next two nights.

While Srinagar witnessed a normal minimum at minus 2 degree Celcius, Jammu recorded a low of 3.3 Celcius which is five degrees below normal.

In Himachal Pradesh, state capital Shimla recorded a low of 4.4 degrees.

Meanwhile, Sundernagar and Bhuntar were under the grip of an intense chill with minimum temperatures of 0 degrees and 0.8 degrees. The Meteorological department said that fog had reduced visibility in Udhampur and Adampur(zero visibility), Ambala (800 m) and Palam (500 m).

Churu records minus three degrees

Some districts in Western Rajasthan registered the coldest winter today after a gap of over three decades as the mercury fell minus three degrees Celsius in the Churu district. According to the Meteorological Department, Churu district had recorded minus three degrees Celsius since 1974.

A priest at Pushkar has reportedly succumbed to the severe cold prevailing in the area.

Other parts of the state recorded three to seven degrees Celsius below normal and the same is likely to continue for the next 24 hours, the MET officials added. - PTI & UNI

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Cold wave tightens grip on North India

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