Cold wave persists across India: Jammu shivers, Rajasthan faces chilly winds; Bay of Bengal depression active
Cold wave conditions continue to grip large parts of India, with Jammu recording sub-zero temperatures and chilly winds sweeping across Rajasthan. Dense to very dense fog has disrupted visibility across north and east India, while a depression over the Bay of Bengal is set to trigger heavy rainfall and strong winds over parts of southern India, the IMD said.
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a weather advisory, warning of widespread dense to very dense fog, persistent cold wave conditions across north and east India, and heavy rainfall over parts of southern India. Harsh winter conditions continue to disrupt daily life, with poor visibility, plunging temperatures and weather-related disruptions reported across several regions.
Extremely dense fog, with visibility dropping below 50 metres, was recorded in several parts of Punjab. Isolated areas of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Bihar also observed severely reduced visibility. Dense fog conditions prevailed in parts of Delhi, Uttarakhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim. Zero visibility was reported at key locations including Amritsar, Jammu Airport, Agra (IAF), Kanpur (IAF) and Prayagraj (IAF), severely affecting travel and aviation operations.
Chills intensify in Jammu, Amritsar..
Cold day to severe cold day conditions persisted in parts of Bihar, while chilly winds swept across Rajasthan. Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions were reported in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jharkhand and North Interior Karnataka. Ground frost was observed in isolated areas of Uttarakhand.
Minimum temperatures plunged below 0 degree C in several areas of Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh and parts of Himachal Pradesh. The lowest minimum temperature recorded over the plains was 1.3 degrees Celsius at Amritsar. The IMD forecast no significant change in minimum temperatures over northwest India and Madhya Pradesh over the next seven days, while a gradual rise is expected across east, northeast and central India.
Rainfall and coastal warnings
Meanwhile, a depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal, which weakened from a deep depression, is expected to cross the north Sri Lanka coast by the afternoon of January 10. Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Tamil Nadu on January 10, followed by heavy rainfall on January 11. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning are also expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal between January 10 and 12.
The IMD has also warned of squally winds reaching speeds of 55–65 kmph and rough sea conditions over the southwest Bay of Bengal, the Gulf of Mannar, and along the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry and Sri Lanka coasts.
Dense fog is likely to persist in isolated pockets across north India until mid-January, while cold wave conditions are expected to continue in several states, the IMD added.