A severe cold wave continued to grip the northern states of Punjab and Haryana on Sunday, with temperatures plunging several degrees below normal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast no immediate relief, predicting persistent cold and dense fog conditions for the coming days.
Record Low Temperatures Across the Region
Bathinda emerged as the coldest spot in both states, recording a frigid minimum temperature of 1.6 degrees Celsius. Other parts of Punjab also experienced intense cold, with Faridkot at 2.9°C, Amritsar at 3.2°C, Anandpur Sahib at 3.3°C, and both Patiala and Gurdaspur at 3.8°C.
In neighbouring Haryana, Hisar was the coldest at 2.2°C. Sirsa recorded 3°C, Jind 3.1°C, Mewat 3.3°C, and Sonepat 3.7°C. The common capital, Chandigarh, registered a minimum of 5°C. The IMD noted that temperatures at several locations were 3°C to 4°C below the normal range for this time of year.
Dense Fog and Visibility Challenges
The cold spell was accompanied by dense to very dense fog, severely disrupting visibility across the region. Amritsar reported zero visibility, creating hazardous conditions. In Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur, visibility dropped to 100 metres, while Ambala in Haryana saw visibility reduced to 150 metres.
The weather office has warned that dense fog is likely to persist during morning hours in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana until at least January 16.
IMD Forecast: Cold Wave to Continue
The IMD's outlook indicates a prolonged period of cold weather. No significant change in minimum temperatures is expected over northwest India for the next three days. A gradual rise of 2°C to 3°C is anticipated only during the subsequent four days.
Specifically, cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh on January 12, scaling down to cold wave conditions on January 13. Himachal Pradesh is also expected to experience cold wave to severe cold wave conditions until January 13.
The data shows the average minimum temperature in Punjab was 1.8°C below normal on Sunday, despite a slight rise of 0.4°C from Saturday. In contrast, Haryana saw the average minimum temperature fall by 0.6°C compared to Saturday, settling at 2.1°C below normal. Residents are advised to take necessary precautions against the severe cold and plan travel accounting for the poor visibility caused by fog.
