Lucknow: A thick fog cover and intense cold Monday hit normal life in parts of Uttar Pradesh, affecting rail services and slowing road traffic. All schools in Lucknow suspended classes up to Class 8 due to the cold wave.

The state meteorological department said such weather conditions would prevail in most parts of Uttar Pradesh for the next two days. “There will be no significant changes in the weather pattern for next two-three days,” J.P. Gupta, director of the met department, told IANS.

"The western disturbance over Jammu and Kashmir has caused snow and rains in the hills. While the snow made the air chilly, rains brought moisture that condensed into thick fog," he added.

In view of the intense cold and fog in Lucknow, all schools up to class 8 were closed Monday following the directions issued by the district administration. Dense fog affected the movement of a number of trains and traffic on the city roads moved at a snail's pace owing to poor visibility.

According to officials at the Charbagh railway station here, heavy fog had delayed the arrival of a number of trains, some by about 10 hours. On Monday, Lucknow recorded a minimum temperature of 7.8 degrees Celsius. Meerut remained the coldest in the state Sunday with a minimum temperature of 2.8 degrees.

-- IANS