Cold wave claims 2 lives in UP; fog disrupts normal life in

Cold wave conditions continued in parts of north India today with it claiming two lives in Uttar Pradesh, even as Bihar and the national capital experienced pleasant weather.

The national capital witnessed a pleasant day with the city recording a minimum of 10.4 degrees, while the maximum temperature settled at 24.3 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average.

However, shallow foggy conditions in the morning led to cancellation of 13 trains. The flight operation remained normal at IGI airport.

Two persons, including a woman, died allegedly due to cold in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh while shallow to moderate fog continued at a few places in the state.
 

According to MeT, night temperature fell in Agra division and was appreciably below normal in Lucknow and Gorakhpur, and remained normal in remaining divisions of Uttar Pradesh.

Fog also played spoilsport in parts of Punjab and Haryana, disrupting the normal life even as minimum temperatures hovered above normal levels in the region.

Amritsar was the coldest place in the two states registering 6.8 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh settled at 9.9 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal, whereas the minimum temperature at Karnal was 10 degrees Celsius.

Rail, road and air traffic were affected due to poor visibility in the states, officials said.

The northern state of Rajasthan also reeled under cold wave conditions with the minimum temperature dipping to 6.9 degrees Celsius. The capital city of Jaipur recorded a minimum of 11.2 degrees Celsius, a fall by 3.5 degrees from yesterday.

The MeT said a further dip in temperature is predicted in the state in next 24 hours.

Bihar, meanwhile, experienced a warm day with the sun shining bright as both maximum and minimum temperatures increased.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said global warming was responsible for milder winter in the northern parts this season.

"With temperatures being recorded above normal levels in several parts of north India, global warming is one of the major reasons for a milder winter this season," it said.