The cold wave gripping Uttar Pradesh intensified on Saturday, with icy winds and dense fog plunging temperatures and disrupting daily life across the state. For the second consecutive day this season, a cold-day alert was issued in 10 districts, leaving residents shivering as they braved the harsh weather conditions. Kanpur recorded the lowest temperature in the state, with the mercury dipping to 4.6 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours.
The cold snap was felt statewide, with temperatures in 20 cities falling below 10 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for dense fog in 26 districts. In Lucknow, visibility dropped to less than 50 meters until 9 a.m., causing significant disruptions to air travel. Two flights to Lucknow from Bengaluru and Delhi were cancelled, while several outbound flights faced delays of up to eight hours.
Visibility reached zero in multiple cities, including Meerut, Auraiya, and Mainpuri, where vehicles struggled to navigate. Slow-moving traffic was reported in Sambhal, Ghaziabad, Hapur, and Ayodhya. In Agra, dense fog caused a tragic accident late Friday night in the Kiravali area, where three vehicles collided. One person died, and 30 passengers were injured in the mishap.
In another accident, a passenger bus collided with a truck on the Agra-Jaipur highway at 1 a.m. The bus, traveling from Gujarat, also struck a Max vehicle following the initial collision. Police arrived at the scene to rescue passengers trapped inside the bus. Four passengers and two individuals from the Max vehicle were critically injured. According to reports, the accident occurred after the driver of a trailer truck abruptly applied brakes, causing the bus to rear-end the truck amid low visibility. The police later used cranes to remove the damaged vehicles.
Dr. S.N. Sunil Pandey, a meteorologist at CSA University in Kanpur, explained that the strong northwestern winds from the mountains have significantly intensified the cold. “The wind speed on Saturday is expected to range between 15 and 25 km/h, contributing to severe cold conditions,” he said. Pandey predicted that Saturday would remain extremely cold, with minimal chances of sunshine.
Some respite from the cold is expected on Sunday, with a slight rise in temperature and reduced fog. However, the cold wave is likely to return after Monday as a new western disturbance becomes active. This weather system could bring drizzle to parts of western Uttar Pradesh and the NCR, further intensifying cold winds.
Authorities have urged residents to exercise caution while traveling and to stay indoors during peak fog hours to minimize risks associated with the severe weather.
