Weather update December 28: Dense fog, cold day alerts in North India; rain forecast for South
As the year draws to a close, winter conditions continue to disrupt daily life across large parts of India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued multiple alerts warning of cold wave conditions, cold days, dense to very dense fog, rainfall, and snowfall in several regions, with travel and visibility expected to remain affected around New Year’s Eve.
Cold wave, dense fog warnings
The IMD has forecast cold wave conditions in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh between December 28 and 30. Jharkhand is also likely to experience cold wave conditions on December 28.
Dense to very dense fog is expected to persist over Uttar Pradesh in some to many areas till December 31, followed by dense fog in isolated pockets for two more days. Dense fog conditions are also likely over Himachal Pradesh on December 31 and January 1.
Isolated pockets of dense fog may occur over east Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh till December 29, and over the Jammu division till December 30. Sub-Himalayan West Bengal is expected to witness dense fog till December 31, while Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Odisha may experience foggy conditions till January 1.
Rainfall and snowfall outlook
According to the IMD, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall or snowfall is likely over Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad from December 30 to January 2.
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand may witness isolated to scattered light to moderate rain or snowfall during the same period, due to the influence of a Western Disturbance.
Isolated thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph are likely over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands between December 27 and 31.
Delhi weather forecast
Delhi is expected to see a partly cloudy sky over the next few days, with shallow to moderate fog during morning hours. Maximum temperatures in the national capital are likely to hover around 22–23°C, while minimum temperatures may remain between 8 and 9°C. Shallow fog is expected at many places, with moderate fog at isolated locations.
Minimum temperature trend
The IMD said minimum temperatures over northwest India are likely to remain unchanged for the next two days, followed by a gradual rise of 2–4°C over the subsequent three days, and a fall of about 2°C thereafter.
Over central and east India, minimum temperatures are expected to stay largely unchanged for three to four days before rising gradually by 2–3°C.
Impact on daily life
Bone-chilling cold and dense fog have severely impacted normal life in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. Visibility remains poor in many areas, forcing motorists to drive with hazard lights on. Dense fog has also affected rail services, with several trains running hours behind schedule.
Heavy rain alert in South India
The IMD has issued a heavy rainfall alert for parts of South India. Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are likely to witness heavy rain in the next 24 hours. Rain is also possible in Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh. Authorities have advised people to remain cautious due to the possibility of lightning and thunderstorms.