New Delhi: Residents of Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana are bracing for intensified cold wave conditions and dense fog over the next few days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced in its latest bulletin. The weather agency has issued a warning for significantly reduced visibility during night and morning hours across the northern plains.
According to the forecast, dense to very dense fog is highly likely to prevail over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi. Similar conditions are also expected in isolated parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, which could impact travel and daily routines during the early hours.
Cold Wave and Fog Conditions
The IMD has indicated that cold wave conditions will likely persist at isolated places across Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi. In addition to the biting cold, the weather department has also flagged the possibility of ‘cold day’ conditions, where maximum temperatures remain unusually low, in isolated locations over Bihar, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Punjab.
Recent observations have already confirmed the onset of these conditions. Very dense fog was reported at isolated places in Uttar Pradesh, while dense fog was observed over parts of Bihar, Punjab, Assam, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Arunachal Pradesh. Among stations in the plains, Rohtak in Haryana, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, and Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 4.2 degrees Celsius.
Rain, Snowfall Expected in Hills
While the plains shiver, the higher reaches are set to receive fresh precipitation. The IMD expects fairly widespread to widespread rainfall and snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad. Light to moderate snowfall is also likely over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the coming days.
Furthermore, the forecast includes isolated to scattered rainfall over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, west Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi during this period. Thunderstorm activity accompanied by lightning and gusty winds has also been predicted for isolated areas over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Tamil Nadu.
Temperature Trends Across India
The IMD has outlined the expected temperature changes for the country. Minimum temperatures over northwest India are projected to rise by 2–4 degrees Celsius in the next 24 hours, but this relief will be short-lived as a fall of 2–4 degrees is expected over the subsequent three days.
Central and east India may witness a 2–3 degree Celsius rise in minimum temperatures over the next two days, with no significant change anticipated thereafter. Meanwhile, no major temperature variations are expected over northeast India during the coming week.
