Punjab is heading for a major weather shift, with the season’s first spell of rain likely to break the long foggy stretch over the border belt later this week. Until then, dense to very dense fog will continue to choke visibility across most districts.
After days of persistent fog and only light drizzle chances along the India–Pakistan border, models now point to the first proper downpour of the season reaching Punjab’s border districts around the end of this week.
Rain intensity is expected to pick up first over areas like Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and neighbouring border zones, before spreading to more parts of northwest Punjab for a brief but active spell.
Between 18th and 20th December, thick fog - sometimes heavy - is expected across much of Punjab, affecting numerous areas with yellow or orange warnings because visibility will drop fast. While some places see patches early on, others face near-zero sight later; this shift could disrupt travel plans suddenly. Though officials urge caution during morning hours, drivers might still struggle when roads vanish into mist. Since air quality may dip further, health risks rise slightly - but especially for elderly people moving outdoors.
The fog probably gets heaviest at night after sunsets, making roads tricky.
Night temperatures on Dec 17 stayed from 7 to 11°C across major spots like Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, or Patiala - about 0.5 up to 3.6°C higher than usual for this season.
Hoshiarpur AWS hit 7.6°C - coldest in Punjab - with a sharp chill around, though not cold-wave level; meanwhile, thick fog along with gray skies made daytime seem icier than readings show.
The forecasted downpours might briefly break up the fog, clearing things up a bit - though streets could turn slick, puddles may gather in dips around town.
Areas near the edge might face steady to strong showers, windy bursts, also a sharp drop in warmth - particularly within one day once the worst rains hit.
Fog blankets nearby Haryana from 17 to 19 December, hitting areas like Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Hisar, Rohtak, Gurugram, plus Faridabad - some under yellow or orange warnings.
According to the IMD report by 21 December, things should calm down; much of the area will move back to green - meaning no alerts - but thin fog might stick around in spots at dawn.
Fog’s heavy blanket could make driving risky on highways and streets across Punjab with Haryana, raising chances of crashes along with slower buses and trucks; meanwhile rail services and air travel might get delayed again or shifted to new times.
As rain moves in toward week’s end, travelers should add more time to their trips, skip late-night driving if they can, run headlights and fog lamps on dim setting, or pefer on transit instead.
- Skip trips when fog's thickest; in case is unavoidable to avoid the trips then residents are advised to drive slow, keep proper ditance between cars, also switch on mist lamps instead of bright ones.
Keep kids, older folks, and people with heart or breathing troubles warm - bring them inside when it’s coldest. Damp air combined with little wind plus low sun might worsen their condition.
- When it rains hard or just after, keep clear of flooded passages. Check how water flows near houses and stores. If winds pick up, look out for broken tree limbs or shaky signs hanging around.
