Dense fog covers entire northern plains, cold wave conditions to return in Delhi

Cold wave conditions are likely to return to the capital starting Republic Day, when the minimum temperature is likely to drop by 3 to 4 degree Celsius.

Dense to very dense fog reduced visibility over the entire Indo-Gangetic Plains region on Sunday, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Large scale dense to very dense fog (visibility<200m) has been reported over the northern plains as per satellite images (Courtesy- IMD)

Visibility recorded at 5:30 am at Amritsar, Patiala, Hissar, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Silchar, Agartala was less than 50 metres, while the visibility at Ganganagar, Churu, Bareilly, Bahraich, Sultanpur and Malda was even less than 25 metres.

Palam, Gorakhpur, Malda, Kailashahar recorded visibility of less than 200 metres.

Delhi’s minimum temperature, recorded at 5.30 am, stood at 10.2 degree Celsius, a slight increase of 0.4 degree Celsius since Saturday.

Cold wave conditions are likely to return to the capital starting Republic Day, when the minimum temperature is likely to drop by 3 to 4 degree Celsius due to the fallout of factors at play in the Himalayas and in the northern plains, the IMD said on Saturday.

The western Himalayas experienced widespread snowfall and rain on Friday and Saturday, and an induced cyclonic circulation was present over Punjab and its neighbourhood in the plains. A Western Disturbance loomed over north Pakistan and its neighbourhood in the form of a cyclonic circulation.

Under the influence of such atmospheric factors, widespread rain or snowfall with moderate thunderstorms, lightning and hail are likely to lash Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh over the weekend, according to the IMD’s Saturday bulletin. Uttarakhand is also expected to experience similar weather.

Light rain and thundershowers are likely in isolated places over north Punjab, north Haryana and Chandigarh until Sunday.

“There has been widespread snowfall in the hills on Friday and Saturday. Rain is also likely over north Punjab and north Haryana. From January 25 onwards; very cold north westerly winds are likely to blow over Delhi, which will lead to a significant fall in minimum temperatures. On January 26, 27 and 28, minimum temperature is likely to fall to 4 degree C over Delhi,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head of the IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.