"Three more people died of cold overnight," taking the weekend toll in Uttar Pradesh state to five, said police spokesman Surendra Srivastava from the state capital Lucknow.

Two more deaths were reported in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab, taking the death toll in northern India to 42 since early December, the Indian health ministry said.

Most of the victims in Uttar Pradesh -- India's most populous state and one of its poorest -- were homeless, Srivastava said.

Overnight, the temperature in Lucknow dipped to three degrees Celsiusdegrees Fahrenheit), and the weather office said it was likely to drop further in the coming days.

It is common to see homeless people and policemen on night duty lighting bonfires to keep themselves warm in Lucknow.

"This is the only solace. Without this fire we will die," said Ram Din, a labourer who lives on the street.

The Indian weather office, meanwhile, reported heavy fog in parts of northern India, which disrupted rail and road traffic.

The winter takes a heavy toll each year around South Asia, as poverty forces many homeless people to live outdoors or in flimsy shacks designed for the hot summers.

Last year, more than 400 people had died from cold in Uttar Pradesh alone.

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