North India shivers, death toll 128

The entire North India shivered today as icy winds lashed the region claiming five more lives 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 coldest day of the season recording a minimum temperature of 3.3 deg C, five degrees below normal.

Kashmir Valley reeled under 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 deg C, a MeT official said.

The tourist resort of Pahalgam in South Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.4 deg C against yesterday’s minus 8.2 deg C.

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