Chandigarh: Layer up as fog to add bite to the chill, says MeT

Yellow warning issued for fog for today and tomorrow, which may disrupt road travel and daily activities, says India Meteorological Department

The city is experiencing a harsh cold wave, with the minimum temperature once again plummeting below 5°C.

Residents can brace for more frigid days ahead as along with warnings of biting cold wave in coming days, Chandigarh is also likely to experience foggy weather. (Keshav Singh/HT)

On Saturday night, the minimum temperature dropped from previous night’s 6.6°C to 4.9°C, a chilly five degrees below normal for this time of the year. The maximum temperature on Sunday remained unchanged at 22.7°C, slightly above normal.

Residents can brace for more frigid days ahead as along with warnings of biting cold wave in coming days, Chandigarh is also likely to experience foggy weather.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow warning for fog on Monday and Tuesday, cautioning residents about reduced visibility, which may disrupt road travel and daily activities. Residents are advised to drive cautiously, layer up and stay prepared for the changing weather patterns.

Fog forms when tiny water droplets suspend in the air, reducing visibility to less than 1 km. Visibility between 200m-500m is termed moderate fog, 50m-200m as dense fog, and below 50m as very dense fog.

The last season’s first foggy day occurred on December 29, when visibility in the tricity dropped drastically to between 15 and 50 metres, severely affecting normal life.

The ongoing cold wave, which brought the season’s lowest night temperature of 4.7°C on December 11, has continued to grip the region.

According to IMD Chandigarh, a cold wave occurs when the minimum temperature is below 10°C and deviates by at least 4.5°C from normal.

Looking ahead, IMD Chandigarh director Surender Paul predicts dry weather and fluctuating temperatures in the coming weeks.

“The maximum temperature is likely to stay between 22-24°C until December 19, with minimum temperatures around 5°C. However, the period from December 20-26 is expected to be colder, with minimum temperatures dipping to 2-4°C in some areas,” he added.

Despite the cold wave, IMD’s long-range forecast suggests this winter will be warmer than average, with maximum and minimum temperatures likely to remain above normal during the December-February period. Normal rainfall is expected during this time.

Over the next three days, the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 22°C, while the minimum may dip to around 5°C.