Dense fog grips UP: Met issues red alert for 50 districts

Lucknow, Dec 20 (UNI) : Several districts of Uttar Pradesh were blanketed in a dense fog on Saturday, severely impacting daily life and prompting the Meteorological Department to issue a red alert for 50 districts of the state.
The dense fog created near-zero visibility in many parts of the state. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the Relief Commissioner’s office issued weather warnings via SMS to more than 12 crore mobile subscribers.
According to the three-day weather bulletin issued by the Meteorological Department, a red alert has been declared for 50 districts of the state, an orange alert for 17 districts, and a yellow alert for eight districts. A fog warning has also been issued for 40 districts.
Relief Commissioner Dr. Hrishikesh Bhaskar appealed to people to plan their travel only after taking the weather warnings into account.
The government is continuously monitoring the distribution of blankets, the provision of night shelters, and bonfires. The 1070 helpline has been activated for assistance in any emergency. The control room is monitoring the arrangements in all districts.
According to Meteorological Department officials, the maximum temperature has dropped significantly in the last 72 hours due to the influence of westerly winds passing through north India, while the minimum temperature has not changed much.
In Lucknow, the maximum temperature dropped to 15.5 degrees Celsius, which is 7.5 degrees below normal. The daytime temperature was recorded at 13.4 degrees in Bahraich, 14 degrees in Ayodhya and Bareilly, 14.4 in Shahjahanpur, 14.5 in Najibabad, 14.6 in Hardoi, and 14.9 degrees Celsius in Sultanpur.
Due to the dense fog, visibility was recorded as zero at Agra, Bareilly, Kushinagar, and Gorakhpur Air Force stations. Visibility was 20 meters in Bahraich, 30 meters in Fatehgarh and Aligarh, while visibility at Lucknow airport was reduced to 100 meters.
The Meteorological Department has predicted that similar conditions will prevail for the next 24 to 48 hours. After this, a gradual increase in temperature and a decrease in fog are expected due to the influence of a Western Disturbance.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary SP Goyal held a high-level meeting to prevent road accidents caused by fog. He directed that vehicles and passengers be continuously alerted through loudspeakers at toll plazas, strict action be taken against speeding, patrolling be increased on expressways, special surveillance be maintained at accident-prone areas, and ambulances and cranes be deployed 24 hours a day.
He also emphasized ensuring the availability of streetlights, reflectors, and emergency services.