Dense fog covers North India, IMD forecasts severe cold wave
Delhi and parts of North India, including Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, continued to witness dense fog and chilly weather on Monday, the first day of the year 2024. Following this, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for these states, predicting a severe cold wave in the coming days. Meanwhile, at least 21 trains were running late in Delhi due to the fog condition, while flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport were also hit.
Why does this story matter?
This winter, most northern states and union territories have been witnessing unprecedented fog and a cold wave. Thick layers of fog on the Indo-Gangetic Plain and snowfall in the hills have severely affected the transportation sector, especially around the New Year celebrations. Hundreds of flights faced delays at Delhi's airport in the last week. Some neighboring states also reported many traffic accidents. In some areas, people had to shift to shelter homes as a refuge from the bitter cold.
Visibility levels drop as fog engulfs various regions
On Monday morning, visibility levels dropped to 200 meters or less in several places in northern India. Dehradun in Uttarakhand reported 50 meters visibility, while Ambala and Chandigarh in Haryana recorded 200 meters. Northeast Rajasthan's Jaipur also experienced 200-meter visibility. In East Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi had 25 meters of visibility and Sultanpur had 200 meters. West Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi reported 200 meters of visibility, and Bihar's Gaya and Purnea recorded 50 and 200 meters, respectively.
Cold day conditions, light rainfall expected in coming days
The IMD forecasts cold wave conditions in parts of Punjab from Tuesday, Haryana from Monday, and Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh on Monday. An orange alert has also been issued for Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Dense to very dense fog is expected in many areas across Punjab until the morning of Tuesday. Light isolated rainfall is predicted in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh from Monday due to lower-level easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal.
Snowfall likely in J&K, Himachal, Uttarakhand on Monday
Moreover, snowfall is likely in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on Monday. Kashmir is also battling a severe cold wave, with the minimum temperatures staying below the freezing point throughout the valley. The minimum temperature in the summer capital, Srinagar, dropped to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius on Monday. The region was under the grip of the 40-day harsh winter period called Chilla-i-Kalan, which ended on January 31.
