9 die as cold wave intensifies in UP

Nine deaths were reported from some parts of Uttar Pradesh since Friday as cold wave conditions intensified, an official said on Saturday.

The weatherman has predicted harsher weather in the next few days with the ‘winter chill effect’ set to lower temperatures still further.

The Met office said that the mercury would dip steadily till January 19, after which the weather conditions might improve.

Temperature in the state capital was seven degrees below normal, making it the coldest place in the state. The minimum temperature recorded in Lucknow was 0.4 degrees Celsius, which is the lowest in several years.

The cold wave in the state was termed “unprecedented” by the regional Met office as temperatures in some places touched sub-zero.

All schools from class I to VIII were shut till January 16.

Kanpur and Sultanpur districts shivered at 1.6 degrees Celsius.

Strong seasonal winds blowing from the Siberian region and a western disturbance have added to the winter bite, Met office regional director J.P. Gupta said.

The victims of the intense cold wave have been identified and they were residents of Kannauj and Kanpur rural districts.

Intense cold wave condition continued in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday with the minimum temperature dipping further to minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, recording the season’s coldest night so far.

According to the weather office, another spell of rain and snowfall is likely to occur on January 15 and 16.

“The sky will remain cloudy during the next 12 hours as we are expecting another spell of rain and snowfall,” a Met official said.

The minimum temperature was minus 17 degree Celsius in Leh, the coldest town in the state on Saturday.

“Kargil town in the Ladakh region recorded minus 15.6 degrees Celsius as the night’s lowest while Gulmarg and Pahalgam recorded minus 14.4 and minus 12 degree Celsius respectively,” a Met official said.

“Jammu city recorded 6 degree Celsius, Katra 4.8 degrees Celsius, Bhaderwah minus 4.5 degrees Celsius, Batote witnessed 0.5 degrees Celsius and Bannihal recorded minus 2.8 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.

An intense cold wave has gripped the valley as it goes through the 40-day-long period of harsh cold — ‘Chillai Kalan’ — which began on December 21 and ends on January 30.

All water bodies in the valley are either completely or partially frozen these days.

Chill grips Delhi

The national capital territory of New Delhi continues to be in the grip of a cold wave and on Saturday it recorded the lowest temperature of the season with the mercury dipping to 3.2 degrees Celsius, four notches below the season’s average, a weather official said.

“Although the sky will remain mostly clear in the morning, the afternoon may turn cloudy,” said an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum temperature of the day was likely to hover around 20 degrees Celsius.

Humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 97 per cent with visibility recorded upto 300 metres.

Friday’s maximum temperature settled around 19.5 degrees Celsius, one notch below the season’s average, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 4.3 degrees Celsius, which was three notches below the season’s average.

On Thursday, the mercury dipped to two degrees Celsius at some places in New Delhi but at the Safdarjung observatory (considered standard for the city), the lowest temperature recorded was at 3.4 degrees Celsius.

A total of 25 trains were expected to arrive late in Delhi, six were rescheduled, and eight were cancelled.

source: GULF NEWS