More deaths as North continues to shiver

There was no respite from piercing cold conditions across north India on Monday, which disrupted rail and air traffic and kept millions wrapped up in layers of woollens.

And though the sun finally shone in the Capital, it was not enough to provide respite from the chill that has killed scores of homeless people in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Dense fog and icy winds disrupted normal life across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Bihar.

Delhi’s minimum temperature settled at five notches below average at 2.4 degree Celsius. But it was still better than Sunday’s 1.9 degrees. Officials said 15 flights and 42 trains were delayed out of Delhi while 18 train services were axed.

In Uttar Pradesh, the temperature dipped to 0.7 degree Celsius at Muzaffarnagar even as the death toll from cold-related incidents in the state went up to 170 with 15 more people dying in the state in the past 24 hours. Extreme cold conditions continued unabated in Punjab and Haryana, throwing normal life out of gear, even as major towns in Himachal Pradesh enjoyed bright sunny days.

The temperature in Haryana’s Hisar town plummeted to a low of 0.8 degree Celsius. Barring intermittent bouts of sunshine, Chandigarh — which recorded a minimum temperature of 0.7 degree Celsius on Monday — has been witnessing foggy days in the last fortnight. Monday was no exception.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded the lowest temperature, close to 1.8 degrees. Trains and flights from Chandigarh were disrupted with long delays in arrival and departure. The Punjab government, too, has extended winter break in all schools till January 13.
In Rajasthan, the mercury dropped to a new low on Monday.

The minimum temperature in Churu plummeted below zero for the first time this season at minus 2.7 degree Celsius followed by Pilani at minus 1.4 degree Celsius.