Rail traffic has been interrupted by dense fog with more than 30 trains running late (representational)

With temperatures dipping and a cold wave intensifying across Uttar Pradesh, the Met department has forecast extreme weather conditions in the coming days. Lucknow, Agra, Bareilly, Kanpur, Varanasi and Allahabad district authorities have ordered schools upto Class 12 to remain shut until Monday.Traffic across the state has taken a major hit as most parts of Uttar Pradesh remain enveloped in fog with extremely poor visibility. The national and state highways are the worst hit as transport services have been completely disrupted.At least four people have been killed in fog related accidents in the past 24-hours in Uttar Pradesh.Rail traffic has also been interrupted by dense fog with more than 30 trains running late. Shatabdi Express between New Delhi and Lucknow has been cancelled after its arrival in Lucknow was delayed on Thursday.Regional Met office Director JP Gupta said the maximum temperature in Lucknow was likely to hover around 13-14 degrees Celsius on Friday while the minimum temperature was recorded at seven degrees Celsius.The lowest recorded temperatures is 6.4 degrees in Allahabad, 6 degrees in Jhansi, 7.5 degrees in Kanpur and 6.4 degrees Celsius in Varanasi.The living conditions in night shelters across Uttar Pradesh continue to be dismal, despite Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's intructions to ensure proper arrangements.The chief minister had conducted a surprise inspection at two night shelters in the state capital on Wednesday and made a brief stop over at night shelters in Varanasi on Thursday night.He has directed officials to ensure that bonfires were lit at public places and that adequate blankets were distributed among the poor and the destitute.

A government spokesman informed that in pursuance of Yogi Adityanath's orders till December 27, 2017, a total of 23,657 bonfires were lit across the state and 1,64,276 free blankets distributed to the needy and 708 night shelters were established in the state.Complaints have been registered with regard to the bonfires as people alleged that most of the wood was being dropped outside or near the houses of ministers and state officials, depriving the homeless and needy.