A biting chill is set to continue across vast swathes of northern and central India as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a significant weather warning. According to the latest bulletin from the National Weather Forecasting Centre, cold wave conditions and dense fog will persist over the plains for the next two to three days.
Residents in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh should brace for freezing nights, as minimum temperatures are expected to stay below normal. The IMD notes that parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will also experience these harsh conditions, with no significant improvement in night temperatures likely over the next 48 to 72 hours.
Fog to Impact Visibility
Commuters across the northern belt may face travel disruptions. The weather department has warned of dense to very dense fog during night and early morning hours. This is expected to severely impact visibility in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Reduced visibility could affect road, rail, and air traffic at isolated locations. Additionally, shallow to moderate fog has been forecast for parts of eastern India, specifically West Bengal and Jharkhand.
Rain and Snowfall Forecast
While the north shivers, weather patterns in the south and the Himalayas are taking a different turn. The IMD has predicted light to moderate rainfall at isolated to scattered places across southern peninsular India. States including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, coastal Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Telangana and Karnataka are likely to see wet spells. Thunderstorm activity accompanied by lightning remains a possibility in these regions.
In the north-eastern belt, states such as Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura may witness light rainfall.
Meanwhile, the western Himalayan region is bracing for fresh precipitation. Snowfall is likely over the higher reaches of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Lower-altitude areas in these states may receive light rain.
Temperature Outlook
The meteorological analysis indicates that maximum temperatures will remain largely unchanged across most of the country. For north and central India, minimum temperatures are expected to either hold steady or dip marginally in the coming days. The IMD has ruled out any widespread rainfall activity over the central and northwestern plains during this period.
