North India reels under cold wave, dense fog; IMD issues advisory

Large parts of north India remain under a cold wave and dense fog, disrupting visibility and air and rail services as IMD forecasts persistent conditions and issues a travel advisory

Large parts of north India continue to remain under the grip of a cold wave and dense fog, with severe weather conditions leading to poor visibility and disruptions in air and rail services. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest weather bulletin, has forecast the persistence of dense fog and cold wave conditions across several states over the coming days.

Dense fog forecast across north and east India

Dense to very dense fog conditions are very likely to continue during night and morning hours at many or some places:

Dense to very dense fog conditions are likely to persist during night and morning hours over Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh till January 7, west Uttar Pradesh till January 5, east Uttar Pradesh till January 8, east Rajasthan till January 4, and Odisha till January 6, according to the India Meteorological Department.

 

Dense fog conditions are also likely during night and morning hours at isolated or some pockets over Jammu, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal till January 6 and over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till January 8.

Fog conditions are also expected over Rajasthan, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh till January 5, Madhya Pradesh till January 7 and Bihar till January 9.

Cold wave conditions likely in these states

Cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of:

Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi till January 7  West Rajasthan during January 5–8  East Rajasthan during January 4–8

Cold day conditions are very likely at isolated pockets over:

Uttarakhand on January 3 and 4  Uttar Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on January 3  Bihar during January 3–5

Rainfall and snowfall forecast by IMD

Isolated rainfall or snowfall is likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad on January 5 and 6, and over Himachal Pradesh on January 6.Hailstorm activity is likely at isolated places over Meghalaya on January 3.

Delhi weather update amid cold wave

Delhi continues to witness biting cold conditions accompanied by chilly winds. For the upcoming week, the India Meteorological Department has forecast mainly clear skies, with shallow fog at many places and moderate fog at a few places during the morning hours. The maximum temperature is expected to remain around 20 to 21 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to hover around 9 to 10 degrees Celsius.

IMD advisory on travel disruptions

In view of the adverse weather conditions, IMD has issued an advisory warning of possible disruptions to air and transport services. The department said fog may affect airports, highways and railway routes across several meteorological sub-divisions.

People have been advised to stay in touch with airlines, railways and state transport authorities for updates on travel schedules.

Health risks linked to dense fog exposure

IMD has cautioned that dense fog contains particulate matter and other pollutants. Prolonged exposure may cause these particles to get lodged in the lungs, reducing lung capacity and increasing episodes of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.