Cold tightens its grip over North India, dense fog envelopes UP

Kanpur: The cold tightened its hold on Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, with Noida, Aligarh and Ghaziabad experiencing dense fog as the mercury slipped further.
With a further dip in the mercury, locals were seen huddling around bonfires on the streets.
Meanwhile, in the national capital, the minimum temperature at Palam was recorded at 14°C on Saturday while Safdarjung logged 12.2°C.
Locals out cycling or taking morning walks said the mercury fell significantly in the early hours of Saturday and the cold was extreme.
"It's getting tougher for us to take morning strolls as the cold is extreme. The fog and pollution are further compounding the woes of regular commuters and morning walkers. We are having step outdoors wearing masks to keep out health problems caused because of pollution," a local told ANI on Saturday.
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi, according to SAFAR-India (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), was recorded in the 'Very Poor' range at 8.07 am on Saturday.
The national weather forecasting agency earlier said the minimum temperature across North India was likely to increase by 2-3 degrees Celsius in Northern India over the next three days.