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Dense fog envelopes Punjab; visibility under 25m in some parts
MeT officials said the dense fog has been forming as there is no wind and high humidity and low temperature continues to persist
Dense fog enveloped Punjab and Haryana the third day with visibility dropping to less than 25 metres in several parts on Saturday morning, the India Meteorological Department said, adding that chances of fog were likely to reduce from Sunday. MeT added that the minimum temperatures hovered around normal values.
Visibility was below 25 metres at several places, including Patiala, Amritsar and Ambala. Officials said that due to the fog, several trains in the Ambala division were running late by half an hour to over nine hours.
MeT officials said the dense fog has been forming as there is no wind and high humidity and low temperature continues to persist. The fog, however, keeps the temperature from falling too low and the minimum temperature went up from 8 degrees Celsius on Friday to 8.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
It was the lowest at Bhiwani in Haryana at 6.7 degrees Celsius and in Punjab at Ballowal Saunkhri in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar at 5.6 degrees Celsius . Fog reduced visibility in most areas in the morning, they said.
Large parts of the two states have been witnessing thick fog for the past few days.
In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a minimum temperature of 8.8 degrees Celsius, Ludhiana 9.2 degrees Celsius and Patiala 8.9 degrees Celsius. The mercury settled at a low of 8 degrees Celsius in Bathinda and Faridkot.
In Haryana, Ambala recorded a minimum temperature of 9.1 degrees Celsius and Hisar 7.7 degrees Celsius.
Karnal recorded a low of 9.6 degrees Celsius, Rohtak 10.6 degrees Celsius, Sirsa 9.2 degrees Celsius and Bhiwani 6.7 degrees Celsius.
More than two dozen trains in the Ferozepur railway division were either rescheduled or cancelled due to the fog.
The morning Kalka-Shatabdi Express from Chandigarh to New Delhi was running an hour late, while the morning Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi to Chandigarh was half an hour behind schedule.
A daily weather update by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) said that the minimum temperature of Bathinda is likely to hover between 7 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius over the next four days.
Dry conditions will persist in the region till January 3, officials said.
Experts say that the cold and foggy conditions are good for the wheat crop.
