Winter's bite turned significantly sharper in Gurgaon on Friday as icy winds from northern mountains sent night temperatures plummeting. The city woke up to a colder morning with shallow fog, marking a pronounced drop in mercury levels and prompting weather officials to issue urgent alerts.
Sharp Dip in Mercury and Dense Fog Warning
The minimum temperature recorded on Friday was 7 degrees Celsius, a notable drop of nearly 3 degrees from Thursday's 9.7°C. While the daytime maximum temperature saw a marginal increase to 16°C from 14°C, it offered little respite. This was due to persistent northwesterly winds, gusting at speeds of up to 10 kmph, which amplified the wind chill effect, making the cold feel more intense, particularly during the early mornings and late evenings.
Visibility was reduced to around 1,000 metres at 8 am on Friday due to shallow fog. In response to the deteriorating conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Gurgaon for the next two days. The alert warns of very dense fog likely to form in several parts of the city.
IMD Forecast and Safety Advisory
A meteorological department official stated that minimum temperatures are expected to fall further by about 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over the next 48 hours, with no significant change predicted thereafter. The cold wave conditions are also likely to affect isolated places across multiple districts in Haryana.
The IMD has advised residents, especially motorists, to take necessary precautions:
- Drive with extreme caution during the early morning and late-night hours.
- Use fog lights while driving.
- Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, particularly on highways and open roads.
"Fog conditions are likely to persist during late night and early morning hours over the next couple of days," the official added.
Regional Impact and Delhi's Weather
The cold spell is not confined to Gurgaon alone. The IMD has indicated that cold wave conditions are likely in isolated pockets of several Haryana districts over the next 2-3 days. The list of potentially affected districts includes:
- Mahendragarh
- Rewari
- Mewat
- Palwal
- Sirsa
- Fatehabad
- Hisar
- Bhiwani
- Charkhi Dadri
Meanwhile, the national capital also felt the chill. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 9.1 degrees Celsius, over a degree lower than the previous day's 10.6°C. The Met department has issued a yellow alert for Delhi, forecasting dense fog in isolated areas on Saturday and Sunday alongside a dip in the minimum temperature. The maximum temperature in Delhi was 17.4°C, slightly below the seasonal average.
For Saturday, the IMD predicts Delhi's maximum and minimum temperatures to hover between 17-19 degrees and 6-8 degrees Celsius, respectively. Residents across the National Capital Region are bracing for a colder weekend, advised to stay warm and travel safely.
