Large parts of North India, particularly Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, woke up to severely disrupted conditions on Sunday as a thick blanket of dense to very dense fog engulfed the region, drastically reducing visibility and compounding the ongoing cold wave.
Zero Visibility and Plummeting Temperatures
The fog was most intense in several areas of Punjab, where key cities like Amritsar, Jalandhar, Adampur, and Pathankot recorded zero visibility. Travel and daily life were heavily impacted as visibility dropped to just 10 metres in Ludhiana and 20 metres in Patiala. The neighbouring states were also affected, with Ambala in Haryana reporting 50-metre visibility. In Himachal Pradesh, Bilaspur saw 30 metres and Sundernagar 70 metres.
Simultaneously, cold wave conditions tightened their grip at isolated places across these states. Hisar in Haryana was the coldest recorded spot in the plains, with a minimum temperature plunging to a chilling 2.5°C. Night temperatures fell below 5°C in several parts of Himachal Pradesh and north Punjab, while south Punjab and Haryana mostly experienced lows between 5°C and 10°C.
IMD Forecast: Fog, Rain, and Temperature Fluctuations
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a clear warning, stating that dense to very dense fog is likely to prevail during night and morning hours in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh until December 31. Furthermore, cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Punjab and Haryana on December 29.
A change is expected due to an incoming western disturbance. The IMD predicts:
- Isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall or snowfall over Himachal Pradesh from December 30 to January 2, 2026.
- Isolated light to moderate rainfall over Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh from December 31 to January 1.
Regarding temperatures, the IMD forecasts no significant change in minimums over northwest India for the next 24 hours. This will be followed by a gradual rise of 2-4°C during the subsequent three days, and then a fall of about 2°C thereafter.
State-wise Temperature Plunge
The data reveals a significant dip in mercury across the region compared to Saturday. In Punjab, the average minimum temperature fell by 1.1°C until Sunday morning. Faridkot was the state's coldest at 3.4°C, followed by Hoshiarpur (3.9°C), Gurdaspur (4°C), Amritsar and Ludhiana (both 4.4°C).
Haryana witnessed an even sharper fall, with the average minimum temperature dropping by 1.3°C. After Hisar's 2.5°C, Gurgaon and Jind recorded 3.4°C, Panipat 4.3°C, Mahendragarh 4.5°C, and Sonepat 4.9°C. The IMD noted that minimum temperature departures were appreciably below normal (-5°C to -3.1°C) at isolated places in Haryana.
Residents are advised to exercise extreme caution while travelling, especially during early mornings and late nights, and to stay updated with the latest IMD warnings as the region navigates this period of intense fog and cold conditions.
