8 killed in Allahabad as north India shivers

A severe cold wave in north India claimed eight lives in Allahabad on Tuesday even as Leh town in Jammu and Kashmir froze at minus 20 degree Celsius. The mercury dipped below three degree Celsius, the first time in seven years, in Allahabad, leaving eight people dead because of the cold in the district with the trans-Ganga region accounting for five deaths.

Railway traffic was also hit due to fog with certain trains like the Prayagraj Express, Sangam Express and Reeva Express running three to four hours behind schedule, railway sources said.

In Kashmir, Leh registered a low of minus 20 degree Celsius, even though the minimum temperatures across the region appreciated by a couple of degrees. Other parts of the Valley saw the night temperatures appreciating as Gulmarg skiing resort recorded a low of minus 9.2 degree Celsius, which was 2.5 degrees higher than Monday. The Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir recorded a temperature of minus 7.7 degree Celsius compared to Monday's minus 12.4 degree Celsius.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley near the Jawahar tunnel, was freezing at minus 8.4 degree Celsius while Kokernag town in Anantnag district witnessed a night temperature of minus 7.5 degree Celsius. In Srinagar city, the minimum temperature rose by 1.1 degree Celsius to settle at minus 4.1 degree Celsius.

New Delhi experienced a bone-chilling morning as the mercury plummeted to the season's lowest of 3.7 degree Celsius and icy winds blew across the city added to the woes of the people. The maximum temperature settled at 14.7 degree Celsius, six notches below normal.

"The minimum was recorded at 3.7 degree Celsius, which is the lowest this season. The low was three degrees below normal," a metrological department official said. The minimum temperature dropped by over four degrees from Monday's low of 8.2 degree Celsius.

Punjab and Haryana faced the wrath of cold conditions with the minimum temperatures dropping sharply while dense fog in the two states threw normal life out of gear.

Freezing cold gripped Narnaul, which was the coldest place in the Haryana-Punjab region, recording a low of zero degree Celsius, down three notches, the met department said in Chandigarh.

As the minimum temperatures in Haryana tumbled after settling above normal for five days, the chill also swept Hisar, which recorded a low of 2.7 degree Celsius, down two notches.

The met said that fog had engulfed most places in the two states early on Tuesday. Fog affected the movement of vehicular traffic at many places while some trains were also delayed due to bad weather conditions.

In Punjab, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded respective lows of  7 degree Celsius and 5.2 degree Celsius. Amritsar recorded a low of 8 degree Celcius, five notches above normal.

In Rajasthan, biting cold conditions continued with Jaipur recording the lowest temperature of 2.1 degree Celsius, six notches below normal. The sole hill station of the desert state Mount Abu recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, according to the met department.

The Rajasthan government has declared a five-day holiday from Tuesday to Saturday in government and private schools across the state in view of the cold conditions.