Kanpur woke up to the coldest morning of the season so far on Sunday, with the mercury plunging to a biting 3.2 degrees Celsius. This reading not only marked the lowest temperature in Uttar Pradesh but also positioned the industrial city as the 11th coldest in the entire country.
Sharp Dip in Mercury and High Humidity
According to Sunil Pandey, a weather expert at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (CSA), the maximum temperature for the day was also significantly below normal at 17.4°C, which is 4.2 degrees lower than average. The cold was intensified by high humidity levels, with maximum relative humidity touching 97 percent. North-westerly winds blew at a speed ranging between 2.1 and 4.3 kilometres per hour.
Cold Wave and Dense Fog to Persist
With a sharp drop in night temperatures across Uttar Pradesh, including the Kanpur division, cold wave conditions are expected to persist during night, morning, and evening hours. Residents reported that the chill is now palpable even during the daytime. Pandey indicated that while temperatures might see a slight rise after a couple of days, the cold conditions are likely to continue both day and night.
Fog and pollution are also predicted to linger during morning and evening hours due to the prevailing high humidity. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast dense to very dense fog over north India and adjoining central India during night and morning hours for the next seven days.
Broader Forecast for Central and East India
The IMD has issued a significant warning, predicting that minimum temperatures are likely to fall gradually by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius over central and east India over the coming three days. Following this drop, the temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged for the subsequent four days, indicating a prolonged spell of cold weather.
In the state, after Kanpur, Etawah recorded the second-lowest temperature at 3.8°C, followed by Barabanki at 4.5°C. The widespread drop highlights the intense winter grip over the region, urging citizens to take necessary precautions against the cold wave and reduced visibility due to fog.
