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New Year freezes Dal Lake, Kashmir

New Year was a cold affair in the North and parts of central India.

While a severe cold wave prevailed in areas of Kashmir, the temperature was slightly more bearable in parts of Bihar, north-west Rajasthan, north-central Maharashtra, Marathwada, and Telangana. Night temperatures were appreciably below normal in parts of Orissa as well.

The northern areas of Rajasthan, especially the desert towns of Churu and Bikaner, reeled under icy winds. The minimum touched 1 degree Celsius at different stations. Pilani town in Jhunjhunu district recorded 3 degrees followed by Chittorgarh (5 degrees), Dabok-Udaipur (6), Sikar and Jaisalmer (7), Sawai Madhopur and Bharatpur (8).

In Jaipur, the mercury fell by one degree to stay at 9 degrees Celsius on Friday morning.

The weather is expected to remain bleak and cold in Bikaner division, with night temperatures as low as 2 degrees Celsius accompanied by ground frost in the next 24 hours.

To date, four people have died in Rajasthan due to the cold wave this season.

In Srinagar, the world-famous Dal Lake remained frozen. Fifty-five other small and big lakes -- including Gangabal, Vishensar, Krishansar, Gadsar, Nunkkool, Tarsar, Marsar and Nalpathar -- across the valley were in similar condition.

Parts of Pangong Lake, bordering China at a height of 4,200m, and Tso Morari Lake were frozen at several places.

On January 1, Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 7 degrees. The all-time low of minus 22 degrees was recorded there on February 29, 1940.

The dry cold wave threw life out of gear in the valley, with water freezing in taps and power supply being erratic.

But temperatures in the Ladakh region were above normal. The weather office said the minimum at Leh was minus 8.4 degrees, five degrees above normal. At Kargil, it was 2 degrees above normal.

A spokesman said that except at the Siachen glacier, no snowfall or rain has been recorded this winter so far.

He said Drass, the coldest place in the world outside Siberia, also has not experienced any snow or rain.

Meanwhile, rain or thundershowers occurred at isolated places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Tamil nadu

Mainly dry weather prevailed over the rest of the country.

UNI

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