Fog shrouds entire Indo Gangetic plain, cold wave to continue for 3 4 days: IMD

New Delhi: A large patch of dense fog shrouded entire Indo Gangetic plains region on Sunday stretching from Pakistan up to Bay of Bengal in the east, satellite images provided by India Meteorological Department showed. A large patch of dense fog shrouded entire Indo Gangetic plains region on Sunday stretching from Pakistan up to Bay of Bengal in the east (IMD satellite image) In Delhi, dense fog with less than 50 m visibility was recorded from 3 am to 10.30 am.

There were a few hours of sunshine but day temperatures also continued to remain low. Amazon Sale season is here! Splurge and save now! Click here “Due to a passing western disturbance, there has been some moisture incursion. Conditions are already very cool and winds are calm. These are perfect conditions for dense fog to develop.

Moreover, there are no strong winds or no such weather system likely immediately that can clear this layer of fog. Unless there is a very active western disturbance this layer will remain. Another WD is expected around January 16 and 17 which may help to an extent,” explained DS Pai, senior scientist, IMD.

“Cloudy or foggy conditions also do not allow absorption of solar radiation. Without sun’s heat reaching the ground, days are very cold. There is incursion of cold air from the northwest which is also leading to very cold nights so both maximum and minimum temperatures are low,” added Pai. Dense to very dense fog; cold day and nights are likely to continue over parts of northwest India including Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, IMD has warned.

Dense fog conditions are likely to continue to prevail over north India during next 4 5 days; cold day to severe cold day conditions when maximum temperatures are very low, is likely to continue over plains of northwest India during next 3 days; cold wave to severe cold wave conditions when minimum or night time temperatures are several notches below normal, is likely to continue over plains of northwest India during next 3 days followed by a decrease in intensity, IMD said in its Sunday bulletin.

Dense to very dense fog conditions are very likely to prevail for a few hours in night/morning in many parts of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh till Tuesday (January 16) and in some more isolated pockets on January 16 and 17. Dense to very dense fog conditions are also likely to prevail for a few hours in night/morning in isolated pockets of Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till January 16.

Cold day to severe cold Day conditions are likely to continue in some/many parts of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh till January 16 and cold day in isolated pockets till January 17. Cold day to severe cold day conditions are likely to continue in some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on January 14 and 15.

Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely to continue in some parts of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh Delhi till January 16 and cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan on January 14 and 15. Ground frost conditions are also likely over northwest India on January 14 and 15.

Minimum temperatures are in the range of 3 7 degree C over most parts of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh Delhi, Uttar Pradesh; in the range of 8 10 degree C over many parts of south Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand. These are below normal by 1 to 4 degree C in many parts of northwest & adjoining east India.

On Sunday, the lowest minimum temperature of 2.5 degree C was reported at Ludhiana (Punjab). Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions prevailed in many places of Punjab and Haryana; cold wave conditions prevailed in in some parts of Delhi and in isolated pockets of West Uttar Pradesh. Dense to very dense fog was reported in most parts of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh Delhi, in many parts of Uttar Pradesh; in some parts of Uttarakhand and Bihar; isolated pockets of northwest Madhya Pradesh, Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim; dense fog in some parts of Assam, Meghalaya; in isolated pockets of Jammu division, Rajasthan, Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha.

On Saturday, maximum temperatures were in the range of 14 16 degree C over most parts of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh Delhi, Uttar Pradesh; in the range of 18 20 degree C over North Rajasthan, Bihar which were below normal by 3 6 degree C at many over these regions. Cold day to severe cold day conditions prevailed at many places over Punjab; at isolated Pockets over West Uttar Pradesh.

In Peninsular India, the northeast monsoon rains have ceased over Kerala Mahe, South Interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Puducherry Karaikal, Rayalaseema and adjoining areas of Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam from Sunday indicating a change in season. There has been no rainfall activity over southeast peninsular region during past 2 days.

The water vapor imagery indicates dry air prevailing over the region at middle and upper tropospheric levels. In the lower levels, dry winds from northern India are prevailing over the region. A cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature (is less than 10 degree C over plains) is 4.5 to 6.4 degree C below normal or actual minimum temperature is less than 4 degree C.

A severe cold wave is declared when minimum temperature is over 6.5 degree C below normal or the actual minimum temperature is less than 2 degree C. A cold day is declared when maximum temperature (is less than 10 degree C over plains) and is 4.5 to 6.4 degrees below normal and a severe cold day is declared when maximum temperature is 6.5 degrees below normal.

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