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Records tumble as cold wave sweeps entire North

Mercury breaches freezing point in Agra, Karnal, Patiala and Adampur in the plains, U.P. cold wave toll crosses 100

Chandigarh: Records continued to tumble for the second day on Sunday as the ongoing cold wave sweeping most parts of North India claimed yet another life in Punjab taking the death toll due to cold in the region to 22.

Adampur in Jalandhar district of Punjab continued to be the coldest place in the plains recording a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius. On Saturday it had broken the over three decade-old record after the minimum dipped to minus 4 C.

Cold claimed the life of an unidentified middle-aged man, presumed to be a beggar, in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab on Saturday. With this, 18 people have succumbed to cold in Punjab while four have lost their lives to it in Haryana.

Barring Shimla which recorded a five degrees above normal low at 6.2 C, the minimum temperatures at many places in the region further nosedived.

Karnal was the coldest place in Haryana as it shivered at 0.1 C, down eight degrees, Meteorological Department sources here said adding that the it was the lowest temperature in nearly two decades.

Chandigarh also continued to be unusually cold. The minimum here plummeted to 1.3 C, down six degrees Celsius as the Union Territory recorded its coldest day of the season so far.

Amritsar, which along with Adampur turns out to be the coldest place in Punjab, on Sunday recorded a sub zero low of 0.3 C, down four degrees. Patiala was even colder at minus 0.5 C, down seven degrees below normal range.

Ludhiana also got no respite from the biting cold conditions as the low tumbled to 1.1 C, down five degrees.

Among other places in Haryana, Hisar had a cold night at 2.1 C, down three while Ambala registered a minimum of 3.1 C, four below normal.

The minimum temperature at Srinagar once again settled below the freezing point at minus 2.4 C while the low at Jammu was 5.2 C, down three degrees from normal.

Bhuntar and Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh also registered below normal minimums at 0.0 C and 1 C, respectively.

According to the Met office here, fog reduced visibility at places including Udhampur and Halwara (zero visibility), Pathankot (500 m), Ambala (800 m), Sirsawa (800 m) and Palam (500 m).

By Monday gradual increase in the minimum temperature was expected and weather would remain partially cloudy in the States of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, sources claimed adding that snow fall in upper hills of Himachal and J&K was also expected.

Mercury dips at most places inU.P.

Lucknow: With the mercury touching the season's lowest of minus 1 degree Celsius in Agra, the cold wave continued to wreak havoc in Uttar Pradesh killing 11 more people overnight, taking the toll past 100.

Five people reportedly died in Ferozabad, Agra, Etah, Mainpuri and Tundla, while two deaths each occurred in Hardoi, Gorakhpur and Mahoba districts. With these deaths the toll from the deadly cold in the State has reached 106.

All other places barring Gorakhpur recorded below normal night temperatures during the last 24 hours. While Sultanpur recorded a minimum temperature of three degree (-6), Allahabad, Kanpur, Jhansi and Varanasi recorded four degree below temperatures, followed by Lucknow and Bareilly with three degree below normal.

The weatherman has forecast further intensification of cold wave over the next 24 hours, with strong possibility of ground frost at a few places during the same period.

Chill winds lash Bihar

Patna: As the cold wave continued to lash Bihar with the mercury dipping to 6.4 degree Celsius in Patna, ten people lost their lives in different parts of the State.

Chilly and dry westerly wind with a speed of around 30 Km per hour blew across the State further deteriorating the situation.

Thick fog till late hours in the morning affected air, rail and road traffic.

A private airlines suspended late evening flights for the last two days while all long distance trains were running behind schedule due to poor visibility.

Bright sunshine and a clear sky was a little consolation for the residents of Bihar as icy wind brought down the temperature.

Those living in the open faced a harrowing time as did school-going children. Some school managements also decided to change the timing.

Gaya remained the coldest town in the state with the mercury slipping to 6 degrees Celsius while the State Capital was marginally better off at 6.4 degrees Celsius. Bhagalpur recorded 9.8 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, ten people, including four children and a woman, have died of cold so far in different parts of Bihar.

The casualties were reported from Patna, Vaishali and Nawada districts.

Coldest day in 27 years

Jaipur: Rajasthan faced its coldest day in 27 years as minimum temperatures swooped to minus 3, 2 and 1 degrees Celsius in Churu, Pilani and Sriganganagar.

Watar pipes and taps got choked with ice and leaves and vegetation were frozen while frost had formed on the surface of vehicles and other things out in the open.

The meteorological department said the minimum overnight temperatures were the lowest in 27 years and Churu, Pilani and Sriganganagar towns were the coldest.

It said the icy winds have been buffeting the desert state for the past 2 weeks and the mercury had dipped 2-4 degrees below normal.

Ground frost along the Indira Gandhi Canal Project areas of Hanumangarh, Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Churu and Alwar- Bharatpur district damaged standing Rabi crops especially mustard, an Agriculture Department spokesman said.

Bikaner recorded a low 2 C, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Barmer (4 each), Jaisalmer (5), Jodhpur, Jhalawar, Rawatbhata and Jodhpur (6 each) and Ajmer 7 degrees Celsius, the weatherman said.

MP in wintry grip

Bhopal: Severe wintry conditions prevailed in entire Madhya Pradesh due to hold northern winds, with the mercury plummeting to three degree Celsius in Khajuraho and Gwalior.

A weather centre official said that cold wave conditions were affecting Rewa, Sagar and Hoshangabad.

The maximum temperature has been well below normal in the State Capital over the past few days. Last night, the minimum temperature was 7.4 degree Celsius. -- PTI & UNI

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Records tumble as cold wave sweeps entire North

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