Bone-chilling cold grips Lucknow as temperature plummets to season's lowest at 3.6°C

In a sharp dip, temperatures in various parts of Uttar Pradesh hit rock bottom on Tuesday, with Meerut claiming the dubious honor of the country's lowest minimum temperature at a bone-chilling 1.5°C. Other areas, including Ayodhya at 2.5°C and Muzaffarnagar and Kanpur at 2.6°C, experienced a notable plunge in temperatures.

Lucknow experiences season's coldest day since 2021

Lucknow, the state capital, recorded its lowest minimum temperature of the season at 3.6 degrees Celsius, the coldest since 2021. Last year's lowest temperature was 4°C, while in 2022, it was 4.5°C. The city witnessed a frigid spell 11 years ago when the mercury dropped to minus 0.7°C in 2013. Despite a chilly start, the day saw a maximum temperature of 18.1 degrees Celsius, accompanied by sunshine after 10 AM.

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The forecast for Lucknow anticipates dense morning fog with a mainly clear sky later, with the IMD predicting severe cold day conditions in the area. Maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 17 and 7 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Statewide cold spell and fog warnings

Muzaffarnagar reported the lowest day temperature at 10.1 degrees Celsius, significantly below the normal range. Minimum temperatures ranged from 3-5°C in parts of East Uttar Pradesh and northwest Uttar Pradesh and 6-10°C in many parts of South UP, all below normal by 3-5°C in some areas.

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The IMD issued warnings of dense fog in a few places across the state, with cold day conditions expected to persist in many parts. The weather is likely to stay dry overall, with dense fog anticipated in various parts of UP between January 24 and January 27 mornings. Additionally, cold day conditions are expected to continue in many areas on January 24, with ground frost likely in isolated places over West Uttar Pradesh.

Several cities, including Shahjahanpur, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Sultanpur, Bahraich, Fatehgarh, and Barabanki, reported minimum temperatures ranging from 3 to 5 degrees Celsius.