Dense fog, cold wave to grip north India over next few days, light snowfall possible in hills
North and adjoining central India are likely to remain under dense to very dense fog over the next seven days as a prolonged cold spell continues. The IMD has issued cold day warnings for several states, while weather experts flag a slim chance of snowfall in parts of the western Himalayas and rain prospects in southern India.
New Delhi: North India is set to witness continued foggy conditions as cold weather tightens its grip across the region. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), dense to very dense fog is expected during night and morning hours over north and adjoining central India for the coming week.
The weather office has issued a cold day warning for isolated areas of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, West Madhya Pradesh and Bihar for Monday, January 5. A cold wave is also likely to begin affecting Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh from Monday onward.
Light snowfall possible in western Himalayas
Weather expert and Mausam Tak founder Devendra Tripathi said that cloud cover will fluctuate over the plains, while hill states could see limited weather activity.
"Tomorrow, on January 5, in the mountains of North India, between Kashmir and Uttarakhand, there may be some clouds in the evening," Devendra said. He added that there is a "possibility of snowfall in very rare places in Jammu and Kashmir" and that "in Himachal Pradesh and on very higher reaches of Uttarakhand, there is a possibility of a little snowfall in the evening."
Delhi to see foggy mornings, mild afternoons
In the national capital, the IMD has forecast a mainly clear sky on January 5, with shallow fog expected at many places and moderate fog at isolated locations during morning hours. Minimum and maximum temperatures in Delhi are likely to hover around seven degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Devendra said that while conditions should remain clear till noon, there is a "slight possibility that there will be clouds in the afternoon in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi."
Rain outlook improves for southern states
Shifting focus to south India, Devendra said a circulation forming over the Bay of Bengal is likely to enhance cloud cover along coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
He said that "soon, we can see good rain in the South Peninsular region, in Karnataka, up to Bengaluru and in Telangana," indicating improving rainfall prospects for parts of the south.