Uttar Pradesh Weather Update: A thick blanket of fog, triggered by a tropical westerly jet stream in the upper atmosphere, has plunged eastern Uttar Pradesh into intense cold over the past three days, turning Varanasi into the state's coldest city.

On Thursday, the maximum temperature in Varanasi plummeted nearly 10 degrees Celsius below normal, making it colder than popular hill stations like Shimla, Shillong and Manali. The city ranked among India's 10 coldest places that day.

ALSO READ: 'Anti-State, Anti-Village," Rahul Gandhi Lashes Out At Govt After VB-G RAM G Bill Gets Parliament Nod

UP Weather Forecast: IMD Forecasts 3 More Days of Extreme Cold

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red and orange alerts for dense to very dense fog and severe cold day conditions in several districts for the next three days.

Extreme cold day conditions are likely to persist in Varanasi, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia, Deoria, Kushinagar and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, a severe cold wave is forecast for western districts, including Agra, Meerut, Mathura, Saharanpur, Aligarh, Kanpur, Fatehpur, Lucknow, Barabanki and Gonda.

UP’s Temperature Lowest In Six Years

Senior meteorologist Atul Kumar Singh from IMD Lucknow was quoted as saying, by jagran.com, that Varanasi's December maximum temperature has dropped this low after six years. The last time it was colder was in late December 2019, when readings fell to 9.1 degrees Celsius on December 31.

ALSO READ: Who Was Sharif Hadi, Anti-India Student Leader Behind 'Greater Bangladesh' Map? Why Dhaka Is Boiling Over His Death

He explained that a day qualifies as a ‘cold day’ when the maximum temperature is 4.5–6.4 degrees Celsius below normal, and the minimum is 10 degrees Celsius or lower. When the maximum dips to 6.5 degrees Celsius or more below normal, it becomes a ‘severe cold day’, exactly what Varanasi experienced on Thursday.