Title - No respite from chill as fog, winds continue

LUCKNOW: Even as extreme cold conditions continued to lash the city on Saturday, the weatherman said that no relief is likely on Sunday but change might start from Monday and Lucknow may witness sunny days by Tuesday-Wednesday. The density and duration of the thick fog prevailing over the entire state for the last few days would start abating in the west UP from Monday onwards and the east UP from Tuesday onwards. The dilution of fog would allow sunrays to penetrate to the ground, raising day temperatures but icy winds coming from the snow-fed hills would keep the chill alive in the atmosphere and night temperatures would remain low. The severe cold claimed 11 more lives in UP in the past 24 hours, taking the toll this winter season to 140. However, Saturday was as harsh as Friday for the people in the city with the minimum temperature dropping to 1.8 degrees Celsius, which was five degrees below normal, and the maximum temperature remaining at 12.1 degrees Celsius, 10 degrees below normal. The biting effect was created in the atmosphere by the icy winds. As the thick dense fog restricted sunrays, the average temperature during the day was between 7-10 degrees Celsius. People were seen huddled around bonfires even during the day. Three flights from Delhi - two in the morning and one in the evening -- remained cancelled because of the foggy conditions at Amausi airport. Several flights were behind schedule by 2 to 3 hours till 10 am in the morning after which situation improved to some extent. However, almost all the trains were running late. The road traffic was also badly hit.

State Met director JP Gupta predicted change in weather condition from Monday onwards. On Saturday, minimum temperatures across the state were 2-7 degrees below normal and maximum temperatures were 6-11 degrees below normal. Muzaffarnagar was the coldest place in the state with minimum temperature 0.3 degrees Celsius followed by Najibabad with 1.0 degrees Celsius, Agra 1.1 degrees Celsius, Ghazipur - 1.5 degrees Celsius and Lucknow - 1.8 degrees Celsius. The lowest maximum temperature in the state was recorded in Gorakhpur - 9.3 degrees Celsius, 13 degrees below normal. The cold claimed 11 lives in last 24 hours, including six in Barabanki, four in Sultanpur and one in Etah. The Met office also issued warning of dense fog (visibility 100 metres or less) in west UP during next 24 hours and in the East during next 48 hours.