Cold wave toll rises to 326 in north India

The death toll due to the cold wave that has disrupted normal life across north India rose to 326 on Wednesday.

Another 38 deaths were reported from Uttar Pradesh, taking the death toll in the state to almost 300.

The fresh casualties were reported from Barabanki and Sitapur (5 each), Gonda and Varanasi (4 each), Etah and Orai (3 each), Lucknow, Muzaffarnagar, Kheri, Kushinagar, Balia and Chandauli (2 each) and Azamgarh and Basti (1 each), claimed official sources.

The dense fog has further added to the problems of the people in the region with Kanpur recording a temperature of 3.7 degree Celsius, the coldest place in the state, followed by Varani, where the temperarure was recorded to be 4 degree Celcius.

In Delhi, a foggy morning brought bad news for air travelers, as several flights were affected.

The Meteorological Department has predicted dense fog in the capital over the next couple of days.

The cold conditions worsened in Jammu and Ladakh regions with a fall in mercury level, though there was some improvement in night temperatures.

The night temperature in Jammu slipped to 2.7 degree Celsius with Banihal recording a temperature of minus 1.6 degree Celsius, the coldest place in the state.

In Leh, the night temperature dipped to minus 22 degree Celcius, while in Kargil it was minus 16.4 degree Celsius. Srinagar recorded a temperature of minus 3.6 degree Celsius, while the temperature recorded in Pahalgam was minimum of minus 5.5 degree Celsius.

The possibility of rains and thundershowers has been forecast in Punjab, Haryana and several parts of Himachal Pradesh in the next few days.