Cold claims 7 lives in UP as north shivers

The harsh winter weather in north claimed seven lives in Uttar Pradesh even as fog caused disruptions in rail and air schedules today amidst a forecast for rain or snowfall in some parts of the region in the coming days.
Delhi shivered under overcast skies today as a dip in the mercury added to the winter woes while early morning fog also hit rail operations.
The maximum temperature in the national capital was recorded five points below the season's average at 16.2 degrees Celsius while the minimum dropped 1.5 degrees to settle at 5.7 degrees, two notches below the normal.

Fog affected visibility in the morning and 41 trains were running behind schedule by several hours. However, flight operations were smooth at Delhi airport, authorities said.
Kashmir continued to groan under the biting cold weather conditions with minimum temperatures hovering below freezing point across the Valley.
The weatherman has said that there is a possibility of light rain or snowfall at isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir over the next 24 hours.

With the weather having remained mostly dry so far, minimum temperatures in the Kashmir and Ladakh region continued to stay below freezing point. Many water bodies, including the famous Dal Lake, were partially frozen as the cold intensified.

Srinagar, the summer capital of J-K, recorded a low of -3.1 degrees, down by about a degree from the previous night's -2.2 degrees.
Meanwhile, in UP, as many as seven persons succumbed to the bitter cold conditions, the MeT department said.
While five persons died due to cold in different parts of Bareilly district, two deaths were reported in Barabanki district.
Under the spell of dry weather prevailing in UP, fog was reported at most places.
The mercury fell in the Gorakhpur division but rose appreciably in the Lucknow, Allahabad and Kanpur divisions. The lowest minimum in the state was recorded at 3.6 degrees at Hamirpur.