Fog prevails in Delhi, parts of north India: 5 updates

The latest IMD bulletin stated that "a dense to very dense fog" will prevail during next the 48 hours in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi and several other parts of north India have been grappling with fog as winter chills intensify. Several road accidents were reported this week due to low visibility. Fog has also been disruption rail and air traffic. On Saturday, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport issued an advisory for air passengers that "low visibility procedures" are in place. All flight operations are currently normal, it stressed, "but passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the updated information on their flights". Meanwhile, authorities across states are understood to have taken preventive measures against accidents caused by foggy conditions, including suspending night bus operations, lowering speed limits in some areas, and changing school schedules.

A cyclist braves the early morning chill and fog at NH 48 in New Delhi on Wednesday (HT Photo/Vipin Kumar)

Here are top five developments linked to fog:

1) Parts of northern India on Friday experienced dense fog with cold wave-like conditions observed in areas of Punjab, Haryana, northwest Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, and temperatures in the national capital dropped to below 8 degrees Celsius, covering most of the Delhi-NCR, according the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

2) The latest IMD bulletin stated that "a dense to very dense fog" will prevail during next the 48 hours in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh due to the persistence of high moisture and light winds at lower tropospheric levels over the Indo-Gangetic plains. It also stated that minimum temperatures in northwest India will not change significantly over the next four to five days.

3) In Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, minimum temperature is expected to remain unchanged for the next 24 hours before falling by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. Cold-wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over Punjab and Haryana between December 25 and 27 due to dry winds from the Himalayas over the plains of northwest India.

4) The national capital on Friday experienced a temperature drop as day's minimum settled at 5.3 degrees Celsius, the season's lowest. The visibility in the city was reduced to 500 metres, causing delays in road and rail traffic, with nearly 21 trains running late. The maximum temperature settled at 20.1 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal and the lowest recorded for the season thus far.

5) Aside from the fog conditions in northern India, the IMD has issued a forecast of heavy rainfall in parts of southern India, including south coastal Tamil Nadu on December 25 and 26, and the south of Kerala on December 26. On December 27, heavy rainfall warnings were issued for Lakshadweep.

(With inputs from agencies)