Lucknow, Dec 19 (PTI) Dense fog prevailed across several districts of Uttar Pradesh and persisted till late hours during the day, leading to cold day conditions in many parts of the state, the Met department said on Friday.
The Met Centre, Lucknow, has issued red and orange alerts for several districts.
Meteorological officials attributed the situation to the influence of westerly winds passing through north India. As a result, maximum temperatures in several areas fell significantly below normal over the past 72 hours, while minimum temperatures remained largely unchanged.
Lucknow recorded a sharp fall in day temperature on Friday, with the maximum settling at 15.5 degrees Celsius, which is 7.5 degrees below normal, while the minimum temperature stood at 10.4 degrees Celsius, 2.3 degrees above normal, the meteorological department said.
Relative humidity in the state capital remained high, with maximum humidity recorded at 97 per cent and minimum at 78 per cent. No rainfall was recorded in Lucknow during the period from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, the department said.
The weather office said dense fog is very likely during late night and early morning hours in Lucknow and adjoining areas, while the sky is expected to remain mainly clear during the day. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 20 and 11 degrees Celsius, respectively.
According to the forecast, similar weather conditions are likely to continue over the next 24 to 48 hours, with dense to very dense fog and cold day to severe cold day conditions expected in around 40 districts of the state.
A gradual rise in temperature and reduction in fog intensity are likely thereafter, with the influence of an approaching western disturbance.
Areas likely to witness very dense fog include Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, Gorakhpur, Basti, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, and Lakhimpur Kheri.
Kanpur Nagar and Dehat, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Agra, Bareilly, Moradabad, Rampur, Pilibhit and adjoining areas are also likely to witness very dense fog, the Met centre added.
The relief commissioner’s office said weather alerts were sent to more than 12 crore mobile users across the state through SMS.
Continuous monitoring of blanket distribution, night shelters and bonfires is also being carried out, while emergency assistance is being provided through the 1070 helpline, an official statement said.
People have been advised to limit travel during foggy hours and follow government guidelines to protect themselves from severe cold. PTI CDN OZ OZ
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