NEW DELHI, 4 January 2007 — Delhi remained in the grip of cold yesterday with temperatures hitting as low as 2 degrees Celsius. Though it was comparatively better yesterday than on Wednesday, residents did not expect an extreme cold wave to sweep the city at this time of the year. “It is colder than last year and the condition may continue for a while,” a weather expert said.
The death toll due to cold wave sweeping northern India rose to 90 yesterday, with the maximum number of deaths taking place in Uttar Pradesh, where cold wave claimed at least 34 lives since early this week. Deaths have also been reported from Jharkhand, Punjab and Kashmir. Most of the victims were homeless people and beggars who spend nights on the streets.
The fall in temperature, according to weather experts, is due to conditions prevailing in Punjab, Haryana, north Rajasthan and eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh. Night temperatures may rise marginally over the next four to five days, but the cold wave conditions would continue over these parts, weather experts said.
Jammu and Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus seven degrees while mercury in Amritsar, Punjab, plunged to minus 1.2 degrees Celsius. While the minimum temperature in Ludhiana was 1.4 degrees Celsius, in Patiala it was 1.5 degrees Celsius. Though Chandigarh registered a slight increase in temperature at 3.2 degrees Celsius, it was three notches below the normal mark.
Northern India is witnessing its worst cold spell so far this year. “Agra and Sultanpur recorded the lowest temperatures at 1.8 degrees Celsius, while Lucknow hit the season’s lowest of 3.6 degrees. Extreme cold conditions prevailed throughout the state with temperatures ranging from 3 to 7 degrees,” a UP relief department spokesman said.
Meanwhile, condition of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who was admitted to Sir Gangaram Hospital on the New Year’s day after breathing problems, is steadily improving. B.K. Rao, chairman of the hospital, said yesterday, “Sonia has had normal food and comfortable sleep. Her condition is improving and she has been advised to take rest,” Rao said in a statement.
