UP cold toll at 78

Lucknow, Jan 5 (UNI) The extreme cold wave sweeping in Uttar Pradesh since last week claimed five more lives, taking the toll in the season so far to 78.

The spine-chilling cold wave sweeping through UP over the past week persisted for the seventh consecutive day as the fog dissipated clearing up the skyline.

Weatherman have attributed the biting cold to moisture feed from Rajasthan and snowfall in Uttrakhand. The clod wave would continue in the coming week, they added.

Reports said one person each died of cold in Siddharthnagar, Bhadohi, Lalitpur and Ferozabad districts Meanwhile, a beggar died of cold near Vidhyachal temple in Mirzapur.

Due to adverse weather conditions, all schools and colleges have been closed till Sunday in the UP capital and other districts of the state.

Allahabad, Agra, Faizabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur divisions witnessed a slight dip in the night temperature, the met office told UNI here.

Sultanpur at 4.3 degrees Celsius -- 5 degrees below normal -- was the coldest place in UP. The state capital recorded 5.4 degrees, followed by Allahabad 4.4 degrees, while Bahraich 5.4 degrees temperature.

A report from the tent city of Prayag -- Allahabad said owing to dense fog, the pilgrims are facing several hardships. Cold waves continued to lash the city and people are faced with problems due to heavy load shedding.

All major trains, including Lucknow bound Ganga Gompti Express and Farraka Express were running late due to fog.

According to weatherman, dry icy winds lashed the state, making people shiver even during the day despite bright sunshine. While day temperatures dropped due to clod winds, clear skies were responsible for dip in the night temperatures.

In the coming days, minimum temperature may drop below 6 degrees in the state. Mornings would continue to be hazy. However, the density of fog would depend on the moisture content in the atmosphere and the velocity in the coming days.

UNI