North India shivers, death toll rises to 128

The entire north India shivered on Saturday as icy winds lashed the region, claiming five more lives and pushing the country-wide death toll this winter to 128.

All the fresh deaths occurred overnight in Uttar Pradesh which has so far accounted for 88 fatalities.

Chilly winds swept the state as mercury plunged to a low of 0.5 degrees Celsius in Najibabad area in Bijnor district.

The national capital witnessed the coldest day of the season, recording a minimum temperature of 3.3 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal.

Kashmir Valley reeled under bone-chilling cold with most places recording below sub-zero temperatures.

Hill resort Gulmarg endured intense cold, registering a low of minus 11.6 degrees Celsius, a meteorological official said.

The tourist resort of Pahalgam in South Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius against Friday's minus 8.2 degrees Celsius.   

In remote Leh district in Ladakh region, the minimum temperature rose by nearly three degrees to settle at minus 15 degrees Celsius, he said.

In Srinagar, the minimum temperature fell by 2.1 degrees Celsius compared to Friday to settle at minus 3.3 degrees Celsius.

Punjab and Haryana remained in the grip of a cold wave with Rohtak, the coldest place in the two states, reeling at minus 0.8 degrees Celsius.

Chilly winds blew across Chandigarh which experienced the coldest day of the season with mercury plummeting to a low of 1.9 degrees Celsius.

Amritsar, Patiala and Ludhiana in Punjab recorded minimum temperatures of zero, 2.8 and 3.7 degrees respectively, the MeT office said.

Mercury dipped in Rajasthan with Churu recording the lowest temperature of the season at minus one degree Celsius, five notches below normal.

Mount Abu, the only hill station in the state, recorded a low of one degree Celsius.

Thick fog blanketed several places in the region hitting road and rail traffic. Several trains were running behind schedule, a railway spokesman said.