Normal life was crippled on Thursday as very dense fog enveloped the city through the morning hours, reducing visibility to a few metres in several areas and disrupting rail movement. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for very dense fog in many places on Thursday, followed by an orange alert for Friday, warning that foggy conditions were likely to persist.
The dense fog was accompanied by a sharp dip in temperatures, with the maximum temperature plummeting by 6.3 degrees Celsius within a day. While the maximum temperature was 23.1 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, it dropped to 16.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday, which was 4.2 degrees Celsius below normal for the day. The minimum temperature was recorded at 9.8 degrees Celsius, bringing conditions close to what the IMD defines as a cold day.
According to the IMD, a day is classified as a cold day when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and the maximum temperature remains 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius below normal. When the maximum temperature drops more than 6.5 degrees Celsius below normal, it is categorised as a severe cold day.
The IMD has also forecast the likelihood of a western disturbance affecting northern India, which could trigger rainfall in parts of Punjab by Saturday. “There are chances of rainfall, at least in the northern districts of the state, by Saturday, which may help clear the fog to some extent,” said Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, head, department of climate change and agricultural meteorology, Punjab Agricultural University.
{{/usCountry}}The IMD has also forecast the likelihood of a western disturbance affecting northern India, which could trigger rainfall in parts of Punjab by Saturday. “There are chances of rainfall, at least in the northern districts of the state, by Saturday, which may help clear the fog to some extent,” said Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, head, department of climate change and agricultural meteorology, Punjab Agricultural University.
{{/usCountry}}Rail services disrupted
Foggy conditions significantly impacted rail services in the district, with at least eight trains reaching Ludhiana Junction more than an hour behind schedule, while 14 trains were delayed by 30 minutes or more. The worst affected was the Amrapali Express, which arrived 7 hours and 10 minutes late, reaching the station at 3.50 pm instead of its scheduled arrival at 8.40 am.
Health advisory for cold conditions issued
In view of the prevailing cold conditions and the possibility of frost, Dr Ramandeep Kaur, civil surgeon, Ludhiana, issued a public health advisory, warning that sudden drops in temperature could increase the risk of hypothermia, respiratory illnesses and cardiac complications, particularly among the elderly, infants, pregnant women, homeless persons and those working outdoors.
The advisory urged people to avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure, keep warm by wearing layered woollen clothing, consume warm food and beverages and strictly avoid alcohol, which lowers body temperature.
Caution was also advised while using heating devices, stressing proper ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. In case of symptoms such as excessive shivering, confusion or loss of coordination and immediate medical attention should be sought.
The civil surgeon said all government health facilities in the district were prepared to handle cold-related ailments.