A thick blanket of dense fog engulfed large parts of North and Central India in the early hours of Monday, severely reducing visibility and disrupting daily life. The affected regions included Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, where visibility dropped to just a few metres.
IMD's Color-Coded Warnings and Forecast
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued significant alerts in response to the prevailing conditions. An orange alert has been sounded for East Uttar Pradesh, warning of dense fog and cold wave conditions. Meanwhile, western areas of Uttar Pradesh, along with the national capital Delhi, are under a yellow alert.
In a detailed post on social media platform X, the IMD forecasted, "Dense to very dense fog is expected during night and morning hours across parts of East Uttar Pradesh (till 23rd) and Punjab, Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh & North Madhya Pradesh (till 22nd)." The weather body added that Bihar, Jharkhand, and interior Odisha may also experience dense fog until December 24.
Travel Chaos and Cold Day Conditions
The fog caused major disruptions to air travel. On Sunday, over 105 flights were cancelled at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, comprising 55 arrivals and 52 departures. The situation was compounded by delays to more than 450 flights due to the low-visibility procedures that were in effect. The Srinagar International Airport also saw nearly 11 cancellations.
The IMD has predicted "cold day conditions" in isolated pockets of several states. These conditions are very likely in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand on December 22, and in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh on December 22 and 23.
Broader Weather Patterns and Regional Impact
The sudden cold wave gripping North India is attributed to a Western Disturbance and the presence of a subtropical westerly jet stream over the region. This pattern has also activated the winter season in Jammu and Kashmir, where snowfall in higher stretches marked the beginning of ‘Chillai-Kalan’—the 40-day harshest winter period concluding on January 30.
For the hilly regions, the IMD has predicted heavy rainfall, snowfall, and snowstorms for Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh, with visibility potentially dropping below 400 metres. Uttarakhand can brace for scattered rainfall or snowfall until December 24. Notably, cold wave conditions have also been warned for Karnataka and Telangana on December 22 and 23.
In Delhi, the minimum temperature is expected to range between 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, with a maximum hovering around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius. Visuals from key areas like Delhi's ITO and Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya showed the region shrouded in a dense, grey haze, prompting authorities to advise caution for commuters and residents alike.
