Residents of Gurgaon woke up to a sharp winter bite on Thursday as the city experienced its coldest day of the season so far. A significant drop in both day and night temperatures, coupled with dense fog, transformed the city's weather landscape dramatically.
A Sharp Plunge in Mercury
The most striking change was in the daytime maximum temperature, which witnessed a steep fall of nearly 7 degrees Celsius. After recording 24.2 degrees Celsius a day earlier, the maximum temperature on Thursday dropped to 17.3 degrees Celsius. Despite brief appearances of sunshine, a persistent haze ensured cold conditions prevailed throughout the day.
However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) clarified that the current conditions do not qualify as an official 'cold day'. For that classification, the drop in maximum temperature must persist for at least two consecutive days at a weather station.
The chill was equally pronounced after dark. The minimum temperature also declined, falling by around 3 degrees in the past 24 hours. It settled at 7.3 degrees Celsius on Thursday, officially making it the coldest night of the current winter season for Gurgaon.
Visibility Drops Amid Dense Fog Blanket
The early morning hours were marked by a thick blanket of dense fog that severely hampered visibility across the city. During the peak fog period, visibility was reduced to as low as 100 metres, creating hazardous conditions for commuters.
"The fog was so dense that even nearby vehicles were barely visible. Everyone was driving cautiously," shared Rohit Yadav, a resident of Sector 45, echoing the experience of many Gurgaon citizens.
Conditions improved gradually as the day progressed. Visibility increased to around 150 metres after 8:30 am and improved further to nearly 800 metres by the afternoon.
IMD's Orange Alert and Forecast
Anticipating continued challenging conditions, the weather department has issued an orange alert for Gurgaon and several parts of Haryana for the next three days, from December 19 to December 21. The alert cautions residents about the likelihood of dense to very dense fog, leading to prolonged periods of low visibility during the night and early morning hours.
An IMD official explained the meteorological reason behind the persistent fog. "Calm winds and high moisture levels are creating favourable conditions for fog formation, particularly during late night and early morning hours," the official said, advising travelers to exercise caution.
The foggy conditions are not isolated to Gurgaon. Similar weather is expected across a wide swath of the region, including:
- Chandigarh, Panchkula, Yamunanagar
- Karnal, Mahendragarh, Rewari
- Jhajjar, Mewat, Palwal, Faridabad
- Rohtak, Sonipat, Panipat, Sirsa
- Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri
Meanwhile, a western disturbance is likely to affect northern parts of India from December 20. However, meteorological officials have indicated that its impact will not be felt significantly in Haryana. While rainfall is expected over northern parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh are likely to remain largely dry.
Looking ahead, the IMD forecasts that minimum temperatures are not expected to change majorly over the next 24 hours. Following that, a gradual rise of about 2 to 3 degrees Celsius is predicted across Haryana and Chandigarh. Despite the expected rise in temperature, foggy mornings are likely to continue in the near term, prompting authorities to urge continued vigilance on the roads.
