India: Cold Wave - Jan 2013

North India is currently experiencing its coldest weather in decades, with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana among those worst affected. Night temperatures have been regularly falling below 3 degrees Celsius in the capital, four to five degrees lower than the normal seasonal average. In the first week of January 2013, Delhi recorded a temperature of 1.9 degrees, the lowest in 44 years. People without shelter are the most vulnerable. Around 78 million homeless people are ill equipped to face the cold weather conditions. (IFRC, 11 Jan 2013)

As of 9 Jan, the death toll from the cold wave stands at 200 (Times of India, 9 Jan 2013).