North India is experiencing a severe cold wave, with dense fog and low visibility affecting many states. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall and snowfall in some parts of the region, due to the influence of a western disturbance.
A western disturbance is a cyclonic storm that originates in the Mediterranean Sea and brings moisture-laden winds to the Indian subcontinent. It causes precipitation in the form of rain or snow in the northern and northwestern parts of India, especially during the winter season, according to the IMD.
The IMD has forecasted that there are chances of light rainfall and snowfall in parts of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh on December 30 and December 31, due to the recent western disturbance. This may bring some respite from the cold conditions, but also pose challenges for the road and air connectivity in the hilly areas.
Meanwhile, dense fog has been reported from isolated pockets of Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi, Uttar Pradesh on December 29 morning. The fog has reduced the visibility to less than 50 meters in some places, affecting the traffic and transport services. The IMD has advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and follow the safety guidelines issued by the authorities.
The fog and cold wave have also impacted the minimum temperatures in the region, which have been recorded between 8°C and 12 °C in major parts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand on December 28. The temperatures were 2-4°C above normal in many parts of the state, due to the cloud cover and easterly winds, the IMD stated.
However, the visibility in the national capital improved on December 28, after two days of very dense fog. According to the weather department, this can be attributed to the breaking of the inversion layer in the morning, as compared to conditions that were observed from December 25 to 28. The inversion layer is a phenomenon where the air near the surface is cooler than the air above it, trapping the pollutants and fog. The minimum temperature recorded in Delhi was 10.7 degrees Celsius, which was four notches above the season's average.
The IMD has also issued a red alert in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi for December 29, as well as an orange alert for December 30. It has also sounded an orange alert warning in Punjab for December 31. A red alert indicates that the weather conditions are likely to be extremely bad, while an orange alert means that they are likely to be bad. The alerts are issued to warn the public and the administration to take necessary precautions and measures.
The cold wave and foggy conditions are expected to persist in North India for the next few days, as per the IMD. The weather department has advised people to stay indoors, wear warm clothes, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid exposure to the cold and polluted air.