LUCKNOW, Jan. 7 -- Even as most of Uttar Pradesh continued to battle extreme cold conditions, some relief, although short-lived, was likely after January 8, weathermen said on Tuesday.

"This spell of intense cold is likely to continue without any significant change across the state till January 8. Then, a short-term improvement in the cold conditions is expected due to a decrease in fog density and a rise in temperature," Atul Kumar Singh, a senior scientist at the Lucknow Met office, said.

On Tuesday, Etawah, with a minimum temperature of 2.6 degrees Celsius, was the coldest district in the state for the second consecutive day. A day before, mercury there dropped to a low of 2.4 degrees. Gorakhpur (4.5), Kanpur City, (4.6), Churk and A...