New Delhi, Jan 10: Freezing winds sweeping northern
and eastern regions forced mercury to plummet sharply at many
places today intensifying the cold wave that has claimed
nearly 300 lives this winter as blinding fog continued to play
truant with road, rail and air traffic.
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar bore the brunt of the cold fury
accounting for 180 and 48 deaths respectively.
Kanpur shivered at zero degree celsius , the lowest in
the past 44 years, as 28 people succumbed overnight to chilly
weather in Uttar Pradesh.
The minimum temperatures in Lucknow, Varanasi and
Allahabad slid to two degrees celsius as dense fog wrapped the
state bringing to screeching halt road and rail traffic at
many places.
Patna and pilgrimage town Gaya in Bihar recorded lowest
temperatures (2.4 degrees celsius each) in a decade as icy
winds lashing the state aggravated cold wave conditions.
The Met office predicted no let up in cold wave in the
state in the next couple of days.
Delhi registered the season`s coldest night as mercury
dipped to 3.5 degree celsius, four degrees below normal.
Thick fog enveloped the national capital disrupting
flight and train schedules. Road traffic also moved at
snail`s pace.
Airport sources said the Runway Visibility Range (RVR)
was reduced to a mere 50 meters at 0300 hrs and no domestic
flights took off till 1000 hrs.
Bureau Report
