Dense fog, cold wave grip Delhi-NCR; north India sees mercury plunge
Several parts of Delhi-NCR woke up to dense fog on Saturday, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold wave. The national capital, already grappling with chilly weather, experienced a further dip in temperature as the cold wave tightened its grip.
Residents navigated through thick blankets of fog, with the mercury levels plummeting, making it a challenging morning for commuters.
Parts of Uttar Pradesh also found itself shrouded in a blanket of fog, adding to the winter woes.
In Rajasthan, Jaipur city witnessed a layer of fog enveloping its streets, and, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), is expected to experience ‘dense or very dense fog with cold day conditions’ today. The minimum temperature is predicted to drop to 8°C, while the maximum temperature is anticipated to reach 18°C.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast suggests dense to very dense fog and cold day to severe cold day conditions are likely at a few places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Rajasthan. Dense fog is predicted at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
The cold wave conditions are expected to prevail at isolated places over Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh.
The IMD has also cautioned about the possibility of thunderstorm/lightning at isolated places over East Uttar Pradesh.
On Friday, Delhi recorded a maximum of 13.8 degrees Celsius at Palam (departure of -4.9 degrees Celsius), Chandigarh recorded a maximum of 14.3 degrees Celsius (departure of -3.9 degrees Celsius), Haryana’s Ambala recorded a maximum of 10 degrees Celsius (departure of -7.5 degrees Celsius) and Punjab’s Patiala recorded a maximum of 11.1 degrees Celsius (departure of -7.5 degrees Celsius).
“Cold to severe cold conditions prevailed at many places over Haryana, a few places over Rajasthan, and some pockets over Punjab. Cold day conditions prevailed at a few places over Delhi and at isolated pockets over north M.P.,” the IMD said in a post on ‘X’.
The maximum temperature recorded was markedly below normal (-5.1°C or less) at many places over Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi; at a few places over West Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan; appreciably below normal (-3.1°C to -5.0°C) at many places over Punjab, West Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh; at a few places over East Uttar Pradesh; below normal (-1.6°C to -3.0°C) at many places over Gujarat Region; at isolated places over central Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and near normal over rest parts of the country, the IMD said in an official statement.