A dense layer of fog blanketed wide areas of the Indo-Gangetic plains including Delhi on Thursday morning, affecting road and rail traffic. A railway spokesperson said 20 trains were running late by 1:30 to 4:30 hours.
Amid low temperatures, high moisture and still winds, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, a layer of fog remained across West Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tripura, and some pockets over Delhi, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Met Office said the Palam and Safdarjung Airport logged visibility levels of 200 metres at 5:30 am.
Weather also remained dry with dense fog witnessed at isolated places in Rajasthan on Thursday morning.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) ‘very dense’ fog is when visibility is between 0 and 50 metres, 51 and 200 is ‘dense’, 201 and 500 ‘moderate’, and 501 and 1,000 ‘shallow’.
On Tuesday, visibility levels had plunged to 50 metres at both these places. South westerly winds at the middle tropospheric level and a consequent increase in temperatures had led to some improvement on Wednesday.
“Satellite imagery shows continuation of dense fog layer from Punjab and northwest Rajasthan to Bihar,” an IMD official said.
At 5:30 am, visibility levels stood at zero in Bhatinda; 25m in Ganganagar, Chandigarh, Gorakhpur and Bareilly, and 50m in Amritsar, Churu Bahraich and Ambala.
Visibility levels are likely to improve from Wednesday night/Thursday morning due to decrease in relative humidity at the lower tropospheric level over the Indo-Gangetic plains, the IMD said.
Cold Wave In North India
Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a ‘cold wave’ alert in many North Indian states. The minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to drop to 5 degrees Celsius and 20 degrees Celsius in the next few days.
Bikaner was the coldest place in Rajasthan with a minimum temperature of 4.6 degrees followed by 6.5 degrees each in Pilani and Sikar. Nagaur recorded 6.6 degrees followed by 7.5 in Sangaria, 7.6 in Sirohi, 7.7 in Karauli, 8.8 in Alwar, and 9.1 in Dholpur. According to the MeT department, the minimum temperature recorded till 8.30 am on Thursday was above 10 degrees in other parts of the state.
A drop in temperature has been also recorded in states of North India, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Bihar.
The 40-day long period of harsh winter cold, called the ‘Chillai Kalan’ in local parlance, started on a frozen note for the people in J&K’s Srinagar city who faced the coldest night of this season so far on Thursday at minus 5.5 degree Celsius as the minimum temperature.
“With minus 5.5 as the minimum temperature today, Srinagar recorded the coldest night of the season so far. Dry cold weather is likely to continue in J&K and Ladakh during the next 24 hours,” an official of the Meteorological (MeT) department said.
Srinagar had minus 5.5, Pahalgam minus 6.8 and Gulmarg minus 5.2 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature. In Ladakh region, Kargil had minus 12.8 and Leh had minus 12 as the minimum temperature. Jammu had 7.5, Katra 5.6, Batote 1.1, Banihal minus 1.2 and Bhaderwah 0.9 as the minimum temperature.
BSF Enhances Border Vigil in Punjab Amid Frequent Pakistani Drone Movements Under Fog Cover
Amid the cold wave gripping north India, the Border Security Force has stepped up a vigil near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab amid increasing attempts by smugglers to push narcotics and weapons through drones under the cover of dense fog. Drone movements from across the border to drop weapons and heroin into Indian territory have gone up considerably in the past few days in the wake of dense fog enveloping the region, an official has said.
“We have increased patrolling and ‘nakas’ (checkpoints) and BSF (Border Security Force) personnel are alert to thwart any bid by smugglers,” said a senior official of the force.
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