Intense cold claim 14 lives in Uttar Pradesh; toll reaches 506

Intense cold conditions continued today in Uttar Pradesh where 14 people died overnight due to the chill, official sources said here today.
   
While five persons died in Ghazipur, three deaths each were reported from Fatehpur and Deoria, and one death each was reported from Maharajganj, Mathura and Banda, taking the death toll to 506 this winter, they said.
   
Meerut, which recorded a minimum temperature of 2.8 degree celsius, four degrees below normal, was the coldest place in the state, followed by Kanpur, where the mercury settled at 5.7 degrees, three notches below normal, the Met department said.
       
In Bareilly, the minimum temperature was 7 degrees, two degrees below normal while Gorakhpur recorded a minimum of 6.5 degrees, three marks below normal. Allahabad, recorded a minimum of 7 degrees.
       
Day temperatures were also below normal at many places. The maximum in Bahraich was 14.4 degrees, nine degrees below normal while Lucknow experienced a day temperature of 17.2 degrees, six marks below normal, it said.
   
Varanasi recorded a maximum of 17.4 degrees, seven degrees below normal and Sultanpur had a day's temperature of 14.2 degree C, nine notches below normal.