The day started with fog in 15 states including Punjab and Haryana on Thursday. Visibility remained less than 200 meters in 22 cities of North and Central India. The Meteorological Department has raised an orange alert for dense fog in eight districts of Punjab, including Sangrur, Mansa, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, and Moga. Also important to note is that due to dense fog, 26 trains in Delhi could not run on schedule. The temperature was recorded to be 1 degree Celsius in Rajasthan.
Cold day alert has been issued today in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Weather is expected to worsen in the coming days prompting IMD to issue certain guidelines. Here are the details:
According to the Indian Meteorological Department, in the next 24 hours, the minimum temperature in the states of North India may drop by two degrees. There is a possibility of increasing chill due to cold winds. There is a possibility of dense fog in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal and isolated areas for a few hours in the morning on January 5.
Due to formation of low pressure over the Arabian Sea, there is a possibility of rain in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka during the next 3-4 days. There may be light rain in MP and Jharkhand. There is a possibility of light scattered rain in East Madhya Pradesh on January 5. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will remain cloudy on January 5.
Meteorological Department's advisory - be careful while driving
Be careful while driving or traveling through any transport in fog. Drive slowly and use fog lights. Keep in touch with airlines, railways and state transport for travel schedules. Airlines companies have asked passengers to check the status of flights before leaving for the airport.
Unless there is an emergency, avoid going out and keep your face covered. People suffering from asthma and bronchitis should avoid staying in dense fog for a long time as it may increase respiratory problems.