New Delhi: Dense fog and biting cold gripped large parts of India on Sunday, disrupting visibility across northern, central and eastern regions as the country woke up to a wintry morning. Several states reported near-zero visibility at times, while the India Meteorological Department warned that fog and cold wave conditions are likely to persist in many areas over the coming days, with fresh weather systems expected to influence conditions by the end of December.
In the national capital, temperatures hovered around 9 degrees Celsius in the morning amid thick smog, with air quality worsening as the AQI neared the 400 mark. Despite poor visibility, operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport remained unaffected till 8 pm, according to a travel advisory issued by Delhi Airport. The weather department has placed Delhi under an orange alert for December 29, forecasting a maximum temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 7 degrees Celsius.
Cold and foggy conditions extended across neighbouring regions. Karnal in Haryana recorded a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius at 8 am as dense fog and a cold wave enveloped the city. Hisar reported the lowest minimum temperature over the plains at 2.5 degrees Celsius. In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, dense fog and cold wave conditions continued, prompting an orange alert with the minimum temperature expected to remain around 9 degrees Celsius. Agra was shrouded in thick fog, rendering the Taj Mahal invisible from the Taj View Point, while Kanpur saw residents gathering around bonfires to ward off the cold.
The impact of winter weather was visible beyond north India as well. Guwahati in Assam woke up to a layer of fog under cold wave conditions, with the minimum temperature forecast at 15 degrees Celsius. Dense to very dense fog was also reported in parts of east Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, while similar conditions are likely to prevail over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya and several northeastern states till January 1.
According to the India Meteorological Department, fog is expected during night and early morning hours across Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and west Uttar Pradesh till December 31. East Uttar Pradesh may continue to experience reduced visibility till January 1, with gradual improvement thereafter. Cold day conditions are very likely in isolated areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on December 28 and 29, while Bihar may see similar conditions on December 28. Cold wave conditions are forecast in pockets of Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh on December 28 and 29, and in Jharkhand on December 28.
Weather observations from the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on December 28 showed very dense fog in many parts of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, with visibility dropping below 50 metres in several locations. Cities such as Amritsar, Pathankot, Agra, Prayagraj and Gwalior reported extremely poor visibility, at times nearing zero. In Delhi’s Safdarjung area, visibility dropped to around 100 metres during the morning hours. Dense fog was also reported in isolated areas of Jammu division, west Madhya Pradesh and Assam, while parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar and the northeast recorded reduced visibility. Looking ahead, the weather department said a fresh western disturbance is expected to affect the western Himalayan region from December 30, with its impact extending to adjoining plains from December 31. Light to moderate rainfall and snowfall is likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad between December 30 and January 2, while Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand may receive isolated rain or snow during the same period. Light rainfall is also expected in parts of Punjab, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan between December 31 and January 1. Elsewhere, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds are likely over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from December 28 to January 1, with isolated heavy rainfall expected on December 28. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the South Andaman Sea on December 28 due to unfavourable conditions.