New Delhi, Dec 25: Cold wave conditions claimed seven lives in North India even as thick fog disrupted normal life in the region.
In capital Delhi, the maximum temperature was recorded at 16.2 degrees celsius, five less than normal, while the minimum was 7 degrees celsius, one less than the ususal.
Seven persons died in the past 24 hours in different parts of Uttar Pradesh as cold wave conditions prevailed across the state.
While three deaths were reported from Barabanki district, two persons died in Muzaffarnagar and one each in Hardoi and Bijnor districts, official sources said here today.
According to the Met office, maximum temperature was below normal by 5 to 12 degrees celsius in many parts of the state.
Cold conditions prevailed over some parts of the state, it said, adding, the weather was mainly dry over the state.
Night temperatures rose in Meerut division and fell in Varanasi division. The temperature was above normal in Bareilly, below normal in Meerut, Kanpur and Varanasi and
normal elsewhere.
The lowest minimum temperature in the state was 3.4 degrees celsius recorded at Fatehgarh.
A thick blanket of fog enveloped most parts of Punjab, Haryana and the Union territory of Chandigarh today disrupting normal life and hitting air, rail and road traffic.
MeT department officials said that the fog was responsible for reduced visibility in the region and resultantly, several trains and flights were either cancelled or delayed by hours.
The condition was no better on the roads where motorists were forced to switch on their headlights even as vehicular traffic moved at a snail's pace due to reduced visibility.
