Toll hits 75 as temperature plummets in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh continued to be in the grip of severe cold wave conditions with temperature plummeting to zero degree in some districts even as the toll in the cold related deaths so far this season rose to 75.

According to the official reports, Kanpur and Kannauj districts remained the coldest places in the state with the mercury touching zero degree.

The state capital of Lucknow also experienced its coldest night on Tuesday with the temperature plummeting to 0.7 degree, the Met office said here.

Below normal temperatures were recorded in several other districts also, it added.

The weather office said that some parts of the state could experience light rains in the next two days and that there would be no let up in the cold wave conditions.

A thick fog blanketed large parts of the state affecting movement of vehicular traffic. Several long distances trains were reported running several hours behind schedule while the flights were also affected owing to poor visibility conditions.

All schools unto 12th standard have been closed in the state in view of the severe cold wave conditions.

The toll in the cold related deaths so far has reached 75 with reports of death of over a dozen people in different parts of the state in the past 24-hours.

The state government said that the district officials had been directed to take all measures to provide relief to the homeless and destitute. The officials, however, denied that the state had witnessed deaths from cold.