Residents of Ludhiana are experiencing a sharp contrast in weather conditions, with days offering some sunshine but nights turning significantly colder. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has responded by issuing a yellow alert for the district, warning of dense to very dense fog over the coming days.
Night Chill Intensifies Over the Week
The city's minimum temperature has been on a steady decline. On Sunday, January 11, the night temperature was recorded at a chilly 4.6 degrees Celsius. This reading is one degree below the seasonal normal and marks a further drop of 0.4 degrees from the previous day. Data from the past week reveals a clear cooling trend, with the night temperature falling from 8 degrees Celsius on January 5 to the current low of 4.6 degrees.
Daytime Relief and Visibility Challenges
While nights are freezing, daytime brought a measure of warmth. Sunday's maximum temperature reached 16.4 degrees Celsius, which is 1.4 degrees higher than Saturday. However, it still remains 1.3 degrees below the normal average for this time of year. The week began with a day temperature of 16.2 degrees on January 5, which then plummeted to 11.2 degrees on January 7, marking the coldest day in two years, before recovering to present levels.
The day, however, was not without its weather hazards. Dense fog in the morning reduced visibility to just 500 meters at 8:30 am. Although conditions improved slightly as haze persisted, visibility readings fluctuated throughout the day, reaching 2,000 meters only by 5:30 pm.
Forecast and Public Response
The IMD's yellow alert for Ludhiana is active for the next four days, primarily warning of dense fog during late-night and early morning hours. Such an alert is issued to keep relevant administrative departments prepared for adverse weather. The forecast suggests the day temperature may rise to 17 degrees by Tuesday before dipping again, while the night temperature is expected to increase to 7 degrees by Tuesday and hold steady for several days.
This split personality of the weather has left locals with mixed feelings. Mukesh Kumar, a resident, expressed that while the sunny days are welcome, the intense cold at night is a major challenge, forcing people to keep their heating systems running continuously.
