Several parts of North India woke up to severely disrupted visibility on Tuesday as a thick blanket of dense fog enveloped the region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued alerts for persistent fog and an impending cold wave, affecting daily life and transport in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
Visibility Drops to Zero in Key Cities
The fog conditions were particularly severe in Punjab. Amritsar and Halwara reported zero visibility, bringing traffic and normal activities to a standstill. Other areas in the state also recorded dangerously low visibility: just 10 metres in Ballowal Saunkari and 150 metres in Bathinda. Neighbouring Haryana and the union territory of Chandigarh were not spared either. Ambala and Bhiwani saw visibility drop to 50 metres, while Karnal reported 200 metres. Chandigarh recorded 150 metres of visibility. In Himachal Pradesh, Sundernagar had 100 metres of visibility in the early morning hours, and snowfall was recorded at isolated places.
IMD Forecast: Dense Fog and Cold Wave to Continue
The weather office has predicted that the challenging conditions will persist. Dense to very dense fog is very likely in the morning hours in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh from January 7 to 9. Following this, dense fog is expected in isolated pockets for the next four days. Furthermore, the IMD has forecast cold day conditions in isolated pockets on January 7 and a cold wave in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh from January 7 to 9.
Temperature Trends and Recorded Lows
The foggy conditions are accompanied by a significant dip in temperatures. Minimum temperatures ranged between 0–5°C at a few places in Himachal Pradesh and 5–10°C in some areas of Haryana and Punjab. The IMD predicts a gradual fall in minimum temperatures by 2–3°C over Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh during the next two days.
In Punjab, the average minimum temperature fell by 0.8°C from Monday to Tuesday morning. Bathinda recorded the state's lowest minimum at 4.2°C, closely followed by Ballowal Saunkhri at 4.6°C. Interestingly, Haryana saw a slight rise of 0.6°C in its average minimum temperature during the same period. Narnaul was the coldest recorded spot in Haryana at 4.5°C, while Nuh registered the highest minimum temperature at 10.1°C. Cold day conditions prevailed in isolated pockets of Haryana, adding to the winter chill.
Residents across the affected regions are advised to exercise caution while travelling, use appropriate fog lights on vehicles, and keep warm as the cold wave conditions set in over the coming days.
