Bone-chilling cold, heavy fog grip UP
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh witnessed the third consecutive day of severe cold on Monday as the average day time temperature across Uttar Pradesh stayed around 17 degrees Celsius, one of the coldest this month.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an alert for the following days, for similar weather conditions across UP, on Monday. The daytime temperature in Lucknow stayed around 15.3 degrees Celsius which was six degrees below normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 7.1 degrees which is normal for this time of the year.
Bareilly district in western UP was the coldest with the day temperature dropping to the 11-degrees Celsius mark. Kanpur recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius followed by Meerut where the mercury dropped to the 5.3-degree Celsius mark.
The day temperature in Prayagraj, Varanasi and Gorakhpur were recorded as 18.5, 17.6 and 12.6 degrees Celsius, respectively, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 9.6, 7.7 and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Heavy fog accompanied with Westerly Winds added to the chill till the Sun came out around afternoon.
Lucknow will experience similar weather on Tuesday with day temperature expected around 15 degrees and night temperature around 8 degrees Celsius. In several places across Uttar Pradesh, the day temperature dropped to the 11-degree mark.
The MeT department has also issued a forecast of scattered rain in UP after midweek.
According to the alert issued by IMD, “Very cold and cold weather is very likely over Kushinagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Balrampur, Lucknow, Sitapur, Hardoi, Bahraich, Sravasti, Siddharth Nagar, Maharajganj and adjoining areas on Tuesday.”
“Dense fog is very likely over Moradabad, Rampur, Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Hapur, Ghaziabad, Guttam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Hathras, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Sambhal, Badaun, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Etah, Kasganj, Amethi, Shahjahanpur, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Farrukhabad, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Ambedkarnagar, Sultanpur, Gonda, Basti, Santkabir Nagar, Gorakhpur, Deoria and adjoining areas,” the IMD warning reads.
Director of state MeT department JP Gupta said, “A lowpressure atmospheric zone has developed over central and west UP which is responsible for the drop in temperatures. The low-pressure zone will subside gradually in the next two days.”
Considering the forecast, the state MeT department has alerted district authorities about the adverse weather conditions suggesting them to make appropriate arrangements to fight the cold.