UP welcomes 2007 amid cold wave

Lucknow, Jan 1 (UNI) Even the biting winds accompanied by dense fog could not dampen the spirit of the New Year revelry all over Uttar Pradesh.

The Sun god gave some amount of relief from the biting cold.

The entire UP reeled under the cold wave for the third consecutive day today and according to the weatherman, it would continue some more days.

The toll due to cold has mounted to 60, following the death of four more people during the last 24 hours.

A report from Gorakhpur said police recovered the body of an unidentified person aboard Durg Express train. Another person died of cold under Khorabar police station area.

Meanwhile, two people died in Bareilly due to severe cold gripping the area.

Allahabad, Agra, Faizabad, Gorakhpur and Bareilly divisions witnessed a fall in the night temperature, the met office told UNI here today.

Allahabad at 5.3 degrees Celsius -- 4 degrees below normal -- was the coldest place in UP.

A report from Kanpur said people were facing hardship due to heavy load shedding. The sudden change in weather has also caused health problems.

All major trains, including Kanpur bound Chauri Chaura Express and Lucknow bound Ganga Gomti Express were running late.

Due to dense fog, the road transport also came to a standstill.

It led to traffic jams at some places. Vehicles moved slowly on highways.

According to weatherman, mornings would continue to be foggy.

However, the density of the fog would depend on the moisture content in the atmosphere and the velocity of the wind in the coming days.

''When moisture comes in contact with the icy winds, it turns into fog,'' they said.

The weatherman has forecast mainly a clear sky with thick fog blanket during the early and late hours.

UNI