Widespread fog significantly impacted visibility across northern and northeastern India on Thursday, causing substantial disruptions to road, rail, and air travel. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted similar conditions for the upcoming five days.
Reports indicate that foggy weather led to delays of up to six hours for 18 trains bound for Delhi. Meanwhile, Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport experienced 14 flight cancellations, and four flights were diverted at Delhi's IGI Airport due to dense fog.
Satellite imagery revealed a reduction in fog over Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, while regions such as Punjab, Haryana, west Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Assam continued to experience 'dense' to 'very dense' fog, as per the IMD.
In addition to the fog, certain areas in Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry witnessed rainfall during the day. Notably, the hilly Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu experienced an unusual drop in temperatures, causing concern among environmental activists about its impact on farming.
Amid severe cold conditions in Jharkhand, the state government adjusted school timings until January 25. Students from kindergarten to Class 5 will attend from 10 am to 2 pm, while those in Class 6 to 12 will have classes from 9 am to 3 pm.
In the northern regions, Kashmir continued to experience a dry and mostly snowless winter, with cold wave conditions persisting in Punjab and Haryana. The Shimla district in Himachal Pradesh witnessed light snowfall in higher reaches, while an IMD bulletin predicted 'dense' to 'very dense' fog and 'cold day' to 'severe cold day' conditions in north India for the next five days.
Delhi issued a "yellow alert" for dense fog over the next two days, with temperatures ranging from 6.6 degrees Celsius to 18.6 degrees Celsius. In Jammu and Kashmir, the cold wave intensified, with Srinagar recording minus 4.6 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir faced a significant rainfall deficit in December, with a continued dry spell in January. Cold wave conditions persisted in Punjab and Haryana, with temperatures below normal levels. Fog covered various places, including Amritsar, Patiala, Mohali, and Ambala.
In Himachal Pradesh, the higher reaches of Shimla received light snowfall, and the Shimla meteorological station predicted dense fog in the lower hills on January 19. Rain deficit reached 100 per cent in all 12 districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh experienced severe cold, with Moradabad recording the coldest temperature at five degrees Celsius. Muzaffarnagar recorded 5.8 degrees Celsius, while Meerut and Bijnor each recorded 6 degrees Celsius.
Parts of Rajasthan saw a slight respite from cold during the day, with Pilani recording a low of 4.9 degrees Celsius. 'Dense' to 'very dense' fog was reported in many places across the state, with Bikaner experiencing a cold day and Ganganagar, Jaisalmer, and Pilani recording an extremely cold day.
(With Agency Inputs)
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