The toll in the unrelenting cold wave in north and north-west India climbed to 34, with four more deaths being reported from Uttar Pradesh and one from Punjab.

Uttar Pradesh witnessed no respite from the cold wave prevailing for the past fortnight, with six more deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

In the Kashmir Valley, the mercury plunged 5 degrees below the normal average to its lowest of the season at minus 6.3 Celsius, the meteorological office said.

Delhi woke up to a bleak and misty morning with a minimum of 3.6 Celsius (4 degree below normal). It was the second coldest day after Monday's 3.1 Celsius.

The Meteorological department has forecast snow in Himachal Pradesh while rain and sleet are expected over Haryana and Punjab over the next two days.

Chilly winds blew across the region and temperatures dipped by two to six degree below normal in most parts of Punjab and Haryana.

Amritsar [Images] recorded a low of 0.4 (5 below normal), Chandigarh 2.6 (5 below normal), Karnal 2.5 (6 below normal), Ambala 2.4 (5 below normal), Ludhiana 1.5 (5 below normal) and Patiala 2.

Bhuntar in Himachal Pradesh settled at minus 1.6 Celsius and Sunder Nagar minus 0.9 even though Shimla was comparatively warm at 7.3 degree Celsius.

Pilani and Churu in Rajasthan also recorded sub-zero temperatures. Water pipes were frozen and burst at many places

Mount Abu recorded a minimum of 2 degree Celsius (7 degree below normal).

Ground frost had damaged crops mostly in Sriganganagar district, reports said.

The winter chill was also making itself felt further east with towns and villages in Bihar and Jharkhand coming under its swath.

Jamshedpur and adjoining areas experienced the coldest day of the season with the minimum dropping to 8.1 degree Celsius.

With UNI inputs