As cold continues to grip parts of North India, Delhi woke up to thick fog on Thursday with the temperature settling at 7 degrees Celsius. Freezing temperatures and near-zero visibility are expected to disrupt road, rail and air travel across large parts of the region.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said dense to very dense fog is likely to persist over northwest, central and northeast India. Areas such as Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh are expected to be the worst affected, with visibility dropping sharply during the early morning hours.
Delhi continued to reel under cold day conditions for the second consecutive day. Upper-level fog and icy north-westerly winds kept daytime temperatures well below normal. The maximum temperature in the Capital stood at 16.7 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, slightly higher than Tuesday’s 15.7 degrees Celsius but still around two degrees below the seasonal average. Weather stations at Palam and Lodhi Road again recorded “cold day" conditions, similar to the previous day.
Weather experts warned of widespread disruption due to the fog. Devendra Tripathi, founder of Mausam Tak and weather vlogger for Kisan Tak, told India Today,"On January 8, there will be a very dense fog and, because of this, it could affect the rail, road, and air traffic."
IMD Issues Cold Alert For These Places
In its latest warning, the IMD said dense to very dense fog is likely at several places over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and east Rajasthan, while isolated pockets of west Rajasthan may also see poor visibility.
Ground frost is expected at isolated places in Uttarakhand, while cold day to severe cold day conditions may prevail over parts of east Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, and in isolated areas of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and west Rajasthan. Cold wave conditions have also been reported in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.
Rain Forecast For South India
While the north battles intense cold, southern India is preparing for heavy rainfall as a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensifies. The IMD has warned that the system could trigger heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning at isolated locations in Tamil Nadu from January 8 onwards.
Tripathi said the weather system has moved closer to the coast, increasing the likelihood of rainfall in Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh. “It has reached closer to the coastal region due to which there will be a possibility of rain in Tamil Nadu and some parts of Andhra Pradesh," he told India Today.
As a precautionary measure, the IMD has advised fishermen to stay off the southwest Bay of Bengal and along the south Tamil Nadu coast until conditions improve.
With contrasting weather patterns unfolding across the country, authorities have urged people to remain alert and follow advisories as extreme conditions continue to affect daily life in both northern and southern regions.
