The Meteorological Department said that cold wave conditions were prevailing in many parts of north-west and central India and the weather pattern was likely to prevail in western Uttar Pradesh also during the next 48 hours.

The bone-chilling cold is set to increase in the coming days due to snowfall in the mountain and active westward winds. As per Met office data, the minimum temperature was 6.8 degrees Celsius in Lucknow on Saturday, 6.4 degrees in Kanpur, 9 degrees in Prayagraj, 6 degrees in Bahraich, 3.7 degrees in Bareilly, and 3.8 degrees in Muzaffarnagar.

After state capital Lucknow's minimum 0.5 degree, Agra was the second coldest city in the state on Friday, reporting zero visibility due to fog to force vehicles to move at a snail's pace on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Yamuna Expressway, and the Agra-Delhi National Highway.

January 1 2021, was the coldest day of this winter season so far in Agra, as north-west snowy winds blown from mountains to the northern plains. According to Met Broadcast Centre, the cold wave is likely to continue, with cloudy skies in afternoon hours and decrease in temperature by two to three degrees during the day. Rain is expected till January 5.

Meteorologist Dhruv Sen said that increased pollution due to vehicular movement around new year in Lucknow led to many people complaining of a burning sensation in their eyes.

-with inputs from IANS