Weather Today: Dense fog blanketed large parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh early Monday, slashing visibility to just a few metres in several areas. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) placed East Uttar Pradesh under an orange alert, warning of dense fog and cold wave conditions, while western parts of the state and the national capital remain on a yellow alert.
Fog To Persist, Cold Day Conditions Likely
In an update shared on X, the IMD said dense to very dense fog is expected during night and morning hours across East Uttar Pradesh till December 23, and over Punjab, Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh and north Madhya Pradesh till December 22. Bihar, Jharkhand and interior Odisha may also witness dense fog conditions until December 24.
Cold day conditions were observed on Sunday across Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. In Jammu and Kashmir, fresh snowfall in higher reaches marked the onset of Chillai-Kalan, the region’s harshest 40-day winter period, which continues until January 30. Meteorologists attributed the sharp dip in temperatures to a western disturbance and the influence of a subtropical westerly jet stream over north India.
Rain And Snow Alert In Hill States
The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall, snowfall and possible snowstorms in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, with visibility potentially dropping below 400 metres. Uttarakhand may experience scattered rain or snowfall through December 24. Cold wave conditions have also been warned for parts of Karnataka and Telangana on December 22 and 23.
“Cold day conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand on December 22, and across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on December 22 and 23,” the IMD said in its latest bulletin.
Delhi Weather And Travel Disruptions
In Delhi, minimum temperatures are expected to range between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius, while maximum temperatures may hover between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius. Visuals from areas such as ITO in Delhi and Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh showed thick fog enveloping roads and low-lying areas.
The fog has already disrupted air travel. On Sunday, operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were hit hard, with over 105 flights cancelled and more than 450 delayed due to poor visibility. The airport authority issued an early morning advisory stating that Low Visibility Procedures were in effect.
