Cold Wave Grips North India, 25 Dead in 48 Hours: Dense Fog, Snowfall Disrupt Life

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The deadly cold wave continues to grip the country with 25 people losing their lives in just 48 hours. States like Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are experiencing an intense cold spell. In the hilly regions snowfall has worsened the situation, while dense fog has enveloped Uttar Pradesh, leading to reduced visibility in 51 districts on Tuesday. In the last 24 hours, 10 people have died due to the extreme cold in the state, pushing the death toll to 25 in the past two days. Among the deceased, three are from Mahoba, one each from Chitrakoot and Banda, while two people died in Kanpur Dehat and three in Kanpur city.

Flights were also affected due to the fog with 13 flights in Varanasi and 10 in Lucknow delayed. On Monday, light rain and hailstorms were reported in cities like Meerut, Baghpat, Shamli, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Aligarh and Mathura. According to the weather department, cold-wave conditions will persist until January 9. Additionally, rainfall is expected again on January 11, continuing until January 20.

The weather department has issued an orange alert for dense fog with visibility dropping to zero in cities like Lucknow, Barabanki, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Amethi and Azamgarh. Visibility was also under 50 meters in Ballia, Bahraich, Churk, Sonbhadra and Urai. The department has issued an orange alert for severe cold in 13 districts and dense fog in 32 districts.