A severe cold wave has tightened its grip on Uttar Pradesh, with several cities recording minimum temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius, accompanied by dense fog and biting winds. The harsh conditions are expected to persist for the next few days, disrupting daily life and reducing visibility to near-zero levels in many areas.
Mercury Plummets Across Key Cities
The state witnessed a sharp and widespread drop in temperatures on Sunday, January 5, 2026. The average minimum temperature across Uttar Pradesh was recorded at around 6°C, which is a significant 1.8°C below the normal seasonal average. However, the chill was far more intense in specific districts.
Kanpur emerged as one of the coldest cities, with the mercury plunging to 3.2°C, a stark 4.2°C below normal. It was closely followed by Etawah at 3.8°C (2.7°C below normal). Other districts shivering below the 5°C mark included Barabanki (4.5°C, 3.7°C below normal), Shahjahanpur (4.6°C, 2.6°C below normal), and Hardoi (5°C, 4°C below normal).
IMD Experts Explain the Causes
Meteorologists from the Lucknow Meteorological Centre have attributed this intense cold spell to a combination of climatic factors. The primary drivers are an active Western Disturbance affecting Western India and the influx of cold, dry north-westerly winds originating from the snow-clad Himalayas.
"The influence of these cold winds has led to a drop of 3 to 6 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures across the state," explained the experts. They noted that the central parts of Uttar Pradesh were particularly affected, with temperatures falling to between 3°C and 6°C.
An additional scientific reason for the sharp dip, especially in central UP, was increased radiative cooling following the dissipation of a lifted fog layer on Saturday evening.
Dense Fog and Cold Winds to Continue
The weather office has forecast no immediate relief. For the coming days, very dense to dense fog coupled with strong, cold winds blowing at 15-20 km per hour will ensure that temperatures remain below normal. These conditions are also creating 'cold day' scenarios, where maximum temperatures struggle to rise even during daytime hours.
"In the coming few days, because of very dense fog in certain areas of the state coupled with strong cold winds, the temperature is likely to remain low," stated experts from the IMD's Lucknow centre.
Visibility was severely hampered on Sunday evening in major cities. Agra, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Lucknow, and Bahraich reported very dense to dense fog, with visibility dropping to between zero and less than 50 metres, posing significant challenges for road, rail, and air travel.
The forecast suggests a slight further drop in temperatures over the next 24-48 hours in some parts before the decline halts. A gradual increase is likely thereafter due to the influence of the next Western Disturbance. Until then, residents of Uttar Pradesh are advised to brace for continued severe cold weather conditions.
