Cold wave death toll in UP crosses 100

People in parts of north India on Wednesday got some relief from the bone-chilling winds of last few days but the early morning fog continued to disrupt train services. In Uttar Pradesh, the deaths from the cold rose to 105.In Uttar Pradesh, over 40 people have died in the last two days in cold wave, taking the toll to 105. According to reports, temperatures touched the season’s lowest in certain areas, making life difficult for pavement dwellers.At least 50 inbound and outbound trains from Delhi were running eight hours behind schedule while a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express from Bhubaneshwar was cancelled because of fog.Visibility fell to about 350 metres in the morning in Delhi but the fog cleared and the sun shone bright as the day progressed. The minimum temperature was recorded a notch below teh season’s average at 6.8 °C.A railway official said that as a precautionary measure, 28 trains have been cancelled till Jan. 31 due to dense fog that prevails during the period across north India. In Chandigarh also, skies opened up to a bright and sunny day after last few days of haze. Many people were seen basking in the sun outside their homes, in parks and green belts.However, thick fog continued to affect life, particularly throwing road and railway traffic out of gear, in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana. Temperatures rose in parts of Rajasthan with Mount Abu recording a minimum of 2.4°C, an increase of 0.4 °C from Tuesday, and Jaipur settling at 9.1°C, an increase of 2.7°C.However, Jharkhand continued to reel under the intense cold wave where 33 people have died. In Ranchi, the minimum temperature dropped to 6.2 °C while Kanke town was the coldest place in the state at 2.2°C.Officials in Lucknow said special temporary shelters with bonfires were being set up along roadsides in the capital city and other major cities and towns of Uttar Pradesh as the cold wave pushed deaths to 105 across the state. Up north, hills of Himachal Pradesh continued to witness snowfall.