Residents of Ludhiana woke up to the chilliest night the city has experienced in more than three weeks this past Saturday, as the mercury plunged below the 5-degree Celsius mark. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has compounded the discomfort by issuing a stern warning of very dense fog enveloping the district for the next two days.
Temperature Plunge and Foggy Mornings
The minimum temperature in Ludhiana was recorded at a biting 4.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday night. This reading is 0.7 degrees below the normal average for this time of year and represents a significant drop of 3.8 degrees from Friday's night temperature. The last time the city felt a colder night during this winter season was on December 2, when the thermometer read 4.2 degrees Celsius.
Among Punjab's various districts, Ludhiana was the second coldest spot. The top position was claimed by SBS Nagar, which recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius.
Visibility Dips and Weather Warnings
The intense cold was accompanied by thick fog, severely disrupting visibility. At 8:30 in the morning on Saturday, visibility was reduced to a mere 50 meters. While conditions improved slightly as haze set in later, visibility fluctuated throughout the day:
- 2,000 meters at 11:30 AM
- 3,000 meters at 2:30 PM
- 1,000 meters at 5:30 PM
In response to the forecast, the IMD has sounded an orange alert for Ludhiana district for the next two days, predicting very dense fog and cold wave conditions. An orange alert is a call for concerned departments to be prepared to handle inclement weather. Following this, a yellow alert—advising authorities to stay updated—has been issued for December 30 and 31, with dense fog expected to persist.
Residents Feel the Bite, Outlook for the Week
The sudden cold snap forced many to change their routines. Amarjit Singh, a local resident, shared that he had to cut short his morning walk due to the unbearable chill. He did note, however, that the daytime brought some relief with warmer outdoor conditions, thanks to mostly sunny skies. The maximum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 20.2 degrees Celsius.
Looking ahead, the IMD's forecast suggests a slight moderation in night temperatures, potentially rising to 5 degrees on Sunday and further to 7 degrees by Thursday. However, the day temperature is expected to dip to around 19 degrees by Tuesday and remain steady for a few days thereafter.
