As the year draws to a close, a thick blanket of fog has severely disrupted normal life across several northeastern states of India. The intense fog, described as dense to very dense, has drastically reduced visibility, creating hazardous conditions for road transport in parts of Assam, Manipur, and Tripura just ahead of the New Year celebrations.
IMD's Fog Warning and Detailed Forecast
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a significant warning, stating that foggy conditions are likely to persist in several northeastern states until January 1. In an official statement released on Saturday, the weather bureau specified that dense fog during night and morning hours is very likely at isolated pockets over Arunachal Pradesh until December 29.
Furthermore, similar conditions are forecast for Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura until January 1. For the immediate 24-hour period, the IMD's regional meteorological centre has predicted very dense fog at isolated pockets over Assam and Meghalaya. Dense fog is also expected in isolated areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.
For Guwahati and its surrounding areas, the Met office has forecast fog or mist in the morning hours, with a mainly clear sky expected later in the day.
On-Ground Impact and Travel Disruption
The practical impact of this weather phenomenon has been severe. Cab driver Debashish Doloi, who operates from Guwahati Airport, reported that the fog has significantly affected his business over the last three days. He revealed that many long-distance trips originating from Guwahati have been cancelled by drivers concerned about safety.
"In the last three days, I cancelled trips to Shillong and Kaziranga due to fog only," Doloi stated. He also expressed concern over road safety, adding, "Several accidents are being reported on national highways in the last couple of days mainly due to fog."
Visibility data from the IMD paints a stark picture of the conditions. In the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Saturday, dense to very dense fog, where visibility dropped below 50 metres, prevailed in isolated pockets of Assam. Dense fog with visibility between 50 and 199 metres was reported in isolated pockets of Manipur and Tripura.
Severe Visibility Drop in Key Cities
The fog's intensity varied across the region but was consistently disruptive:
- In Tezpur, Assam, visibility plummeted to a mere 20 metres.
- Dhubri also saw a significant reduction, with visibility falling to 150 metres.
- In Agartala, Tripura, visibility was reported at just 50 metres.
- The corresponding figure for Imphal, Manipur, was 100 metres.
Weather Outlook for the Coming Days
Looking ahead, the IMD's regional centre has forecast light rain at isolated places over Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday. The higher reaches of the state may also witness light snowfall on the same day.
For the other northeastern states, including Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, dry weather is likely to prevail. The Met office has predicted no large change in minimum temperatures across the region. However, residents should brace for shallow to moderate fog at isolated pockets over all the mentioned states in the coming days.
As the region prepares to welcome the New Year, authorities are urging citizens to exercise extreme caution while travelling, adhere to traffic advisories, and stay updated with the latest weather bulletins from the IMD.
