: The Indian Meteorological Department’s Chandigarh Observatory has issued a red alert for Saturday, followed by an orange alert for the next three days in Ludhiana district.
The alerts signal an imminent shift from cold day to severe cold day conditions and the onset of a cold wave to severe cold wave, accompanied by dense to very dense fog.
The alert comes in the wake of Ludhiana recording a maximum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 4.6 degrees Celsius on Friday, recording a dip of 6.1 and 1.7 degrees, respectively from the normal temperature.
“Mainly dry weather is very likely to prevail over the region during the next 4-5 days. No significant change in the minimum temperature is expected during this period; however, dense to very dense fog is likely at many places on Jan 12 and 13, accompanied by cold day to severe cold day conditions. Cold conditions are expected thereafter,” according to a report shared by the IMD.
The looming cold wave is anticipated to impact the Lohri festivities, a festival traditionally marked by kite flying, which is highly dependent on weather conditions setting the tone for such activities.
A local kite vendor Jagat Kumar with a shop in Ghumar Mandi expressed concerns, stating, “Fog increases moisture content in the air, reducing visibility and making it poor. Given such conditions, not many people engage in kite flying. Even without fog, the severe cold wave and the upcoming exams on Monday across all classes in government schools have dimmed the light of this Lohri.”
{{/usCountry}}A local kite vendor Jagat Kumar with a shop in Ghumar Mandi expressed concerns, stating, “Fog increases moisture content in the air, reducing visibility and making it poor. Given such conditions, not many people engage in kite flying. Even without fog, the severe cold wave and the upcoming exams on Monday across all classes in government schools have dimmed the light of this Lohri.”
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