A persisting cold wave coupled with dense fog has enveloped North India, affecting daily life and disrupting travel. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that these harsh conditions will likely continue across the region until January 27. The chilling weather has led the people of Delhi to gather around bonfires as a means of respite from the cold.
On a particularly cold Tuesday, the national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 6.9 degrees Celsius, which is a notch below the seasonal average. A moderate fog is projected to stay until January 26 in the National Capital, with foggy conditions expected on January 27 and 28. This January has seen a significant number of cold days in Delhi, the highest of such incidences in the past 13 years, resulting from temperatures plummeting to 4.5 to 6.4°C below the normal mark or even lower, meeting the official criteria for a cold wave declaration.
Many residents faced travel disruptions as flights and trains were delayed due to the poor visibility caused by dense fog. At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, over 150 flights were held up, although only seven faced cancellation. Rail services weren’t spared either, with 28 trains, including prominent Rajdhani Express routes, facing holdups from two to five hours. Neighboring regions such as Rajasthan also fell prey to the severe cold wave, with Alwar’s temperature stooping to 2.5 degrees Celsius, prompting the IMD to predict cold day to severe cold day conditions in isolated areas of West Rajasthan. Visibility was greatly reduced in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab as well, affecting both land and air transport, and prompting the IMD to issue a yellow alert for the populace to stay vigilant.
In Uttarakhand, the same yellow alert has been raised in anticipation of the harsh weather that may continue to cause severe cold day conditions. Previously, the fog had already begun impacting visibility in the Jammu division, West Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, presenting challenges to vehicular and flight operations.
The IMD warned of dense fog likely to cover North India, including regions of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and North Madhya Pradesh in the next few days. Dense to very dense fog is expected to loom in Delhi and its neighboring areas within the 24 hours. This forecast has already started manifesting as travel delays, with 28 trains bound for Delhi running late due to the dense fog on January 23. Disruptions in air travel are also notable as passengers are urged to stay updated on flight schedules to navigate through the inclement conditions that the weather has imposed on transportation services.