The severe cold wave condition continued to sweep across the plains of Uttar Pradesh on Monday claiming at least 18 lives since Sunday.

Three persons each died in the districts of Mahoba, Deoria, Pratapgarh and Bijnore each, two each in Siddharthnagar and Sant Kabir Nagar and one each in Lucknow and Balia.

The district administration have been asked to keep the schools closed in view of the severe cold till January 7.

According to the met department, the weather was mainly dry in Allahabad division and there was a rise in temperature in Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Moradabad divisions.

The mercury dipped in Meerut division and remained stable in other divisions of the state, with Shahjahanpur recording the lowest temperature in the state at 4.8 degree Celsius.