Cold claims 13 more lives in UP, toll reaches 129

Cold wave continued unabated in Uttar Pradesh as 13 more people succumbed to the chill in the state, taking the death toll this winter to 129.

Three people each died in Ballia, Lalitpur and Sonebhadra districts, followed by one each in Barabanki, Mirzapur, Kushinagar and Hathras, officials said.

Meteorological office sources said that the maximum temperatures recorded were below normal by 5 to 10 degree Celsius over many parts of the state.

Night temperatures fell markedly in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad divisions and fell in Kanpur, Lucknow divisions.

Lowest temperature of 1.4 degree Celsius was recorded at Kanpur followed by Muzaffarnagar 1.6 degree, Najibabad (Bijnore) 1.6 degree, Agra and Lucknow 2.1 degree and Kheri 2.6 degree C.

The local meteorological department forecast dry weather and dense fog over many parts of the state, which would bring down the visibility to 50 metres or less, in the next two days.