Lucknow, Jan 3 (IANS): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted isolated rain in some parts of southern Uttar Pradesh and districts bordering Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday and Thursday, further intensifying the cold wave.
A further drop in the minimum temperature is also expected from Friday onwards, potentially leading to cold wave conditions in parts of the state.
A thick blanket of fog covered the state capital on Tuesday night, making visibility difficult for commuters.
Mohd Danish, in charge of the IMD office in Lucknow, said: “There is a possibility that districts like Jhansi, Banda, Orai, Chitrakoot, Kaushambhi, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Varanasi, Chandauli, and nearby areas may experience some rain in the next 48 hours.”
On Tuesday, Meerut recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 6.4 degrees Celsius, Aligarh at 7.2, Lucknow at 8.4, Sultanpur at 9, and Gorakhpur at 9.4.
The state witnessed dense to very dense fog on Tuesday.
Visibility in Bareilly district was at its lowest at zero meters, Gorakhpur and Varanasi had a visibility of 25 meters each, Lucknow and Prayagraj had 50 meters, and Jhansi had 200 meters.
The IMD classifies fog as ‘shallow’ when visibility is between 500m and 1,000m; ‘moderate’ when it is between 200m and 500m; ‘dense’ when it is between 50m and 200m; and ‘very dense’ when it is lower than 50m.
Some districts may experience “cold day” or “severe cold day” conditions.
According to the IMD, a “cold day” or “severe cold day” is considered based on two parameters: a minimum temperature of under 10 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature that is 4.5 degrees Celsius or 6.4 degrees below normal, respectively.
A “cold wave” occurs in plains when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and/or is 4.5 notches lesser than the season’s normal for two consecutive days.
A cold wave is also declared when the minimum temperature is less than 4 degrees Celsius in the plains.
Witnessing a cold day and cold wave together means the gap between day and night temperatures was lower than normal, an official explained.
The IMD has issued warnings of dense to very dense fog in several parts of Uttar Pradesh as well.