The Tribune – Cold kills 4 in North; Punjab, Haryana shiver

Chandigarh, December 26. Four persons died due to extreme cold in North India where temperatures plummeted and fog disrupted normal life. In Delhi, the maximum temperature was recorded at 18.3°C, two less than normal and the minimum temperature was 7.8°C.

One person succumbed to severe cold wave conditions in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. Opinder Bedi, a resident of Jharkhand, died due to severe cold at Tanda yesterday.

In Uttar Pradesh, three persons died in the past 24 hours taking the toll this season to 21. One death each was reported in Lalitpur, Gorakhpur and Muzaffar Nagar, official sources said here today. Lowest temperature in the state was 3.2°C recorded at Fatehgarh.

The cold wave tightened its grip over Punjab and Haryana, with the mercury dropping to as much as five notches below normal in various parts of the region. Bone-chilling cold weather disrupted normal life in the two states while poor visibility due to the dense fog saw train and flight schedules hit by long delays and even cancellation of services.

The fog also affected road traffic, causing inconvenience to commuters.

The Met department said that foggy conditions would for now continue to prevail in various parts of Punjab and Haryana. (PTI)

J&K braces for more snow

The weather office has forecast rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir during the next few days. Sonam Lotus, director of the weather office, said: “Light snowfall is likely in Srinagar on Friday while moderate snowfall is expected in the mountains from the evening of Thursday till the morning of Saturday. The minimum temperature on Wednesday was -2.9°C in Srinagar, -6.5 in Pahalgam, -7 in Gulmarg, -13.8 in Leh and -15.4°C in Kargil town.”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121227/main7.htm

BBC News – Many people die in India cold wave

19 December 2011

At least 26 people have died in a cold wave sweeping through northern India, the country’s state broadcaster Doordarshan News says.

The majority of deaths have happened in the state of Uttar Pradesh, according to media reports.

Scores die in India every year, being ill-equipped to deal with extreme cold.

Last week the country’s Supreme Court ordered states to provide adequate night shelters for the homeless during the ongoing winter.

“You should not allow even a single person to die this winter from the freezing cold,” the judges said. Most deaths take place among the homeless and elderly.

Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are among the northern states which have been hit by intensely cold weather.

Heavy fog and a cold wave have disrupted life across northern India with temperatures dropping to 2.2 degrees Celsius in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

The capital Delhi is also in the throes of a cold snap with temperatures dipping to 5 degree Celcius and fog disrupting flight schedules.

The cold wave has forced schools shut in the state of Bihar till 25 December, reports said.

Water supply pipes in Srinagar, summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, froze as temperatures plummeted to 2.8 degrees Celcius.

Last year a cold snap in northern India killed several people, shut schools and disrupted flights. The highway linking Kashmir with the rest of India was also shut due to snowfall.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16240079