Cold conditions worsen in north India, toll mounts to 457

NEW DELHI: Fall in night temperature and foggy weather worsened cold conditions in parts of north India where the toll mounted to 457 even as schedules of over 35 domestic and international flights got disrupted due to poor visibility at the IGI airport here.All the 14 fresh deaths were reported from Uttar Pradesh which alone accounted for 428 casualties this winter.

Intense cold wave swept parts of Punjab and Haryana affecting normal life as a thick blanket of fog engulfed the region affecting road, rail and air traffic.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a minimum of minus 0.8 degree Celsius, the Met office said.

Night temperature in Patiala was 5.5 deg C while in Ludhiana it was 6 deg C. Chandigarh had a low of 5.7 deg C.

In Haryana, Ambala recorded 4.9 deg C, down by two degrees while the minimum temperature at Rohtak was 6.2 deg C followed by Karnal at 7 deg C.

Cold conditions worsened in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir as mercury dipped due to clear skies.

Night temperature slipped to minus 2.6 deg C in Srinagar from minus 1.2 deg C yesterday. Both Pahalgam in south Kashmir and Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded the lowest night temperature in the valley at minus 4 deg C.

Jammu had a minimum of 5.2 deg C while Banihal was the coldest place in Jammu region at minus 1.9 deg C.

Leh recorded minus 12.4 deg C and Kargil minus 11 deg C. Churk in Mirzapur district was the coldest place in Uttar Pradesh with a minimum temperature of 3.2 deg C, followed by Varanasi at 5.2 deg C, Allahabad 6.2 deg C and Kanpur 7.1 deg C.