Four die as Uttarakhand reels under intense cold

Dehradun: Four women succumbed to the chill in Haridwar as entire Uttarakhand remained in the grip of a severe cold wave today with several districts in higher hills recording sub-zero temperatures.

Four women, aged between 50-62 years, died of cold in Kaliyar and Budhwa Sahid villages near Roorkee in Haridwar district yesterday, officials said.

The minimum temperature touched one degree celsius in Haridwar district which was enveloped in a thick blanket of fog.

State capital Dehradun reeled under intense cold registering a low of 1.3 degrees celsius.

Districts located in higher reaches like Almora, Tehri Garhwal and Pithoragarh recorded sub-zero temperatures while Udhamsingh Nagar, Pauri and parts of Nainital were wrapped in dense fog, MeT office Director Anand Sharma told a news agency.

Tehri district was the coldest at 0.5 degrees Celsius followed by Mukteshwar at 0.4 degrees and Pithoragarh at 0.2 degrees.

Similar weather conditions have been predicted for the next few days in the state.