Cold outbreak from North to Central India, fog and snowfall slowed down the pace, life was miserable.

New Delhi. With the beginning of the new year, the weather has wreaked havoc with severe cold and dense fog in many parts of North India and Central India. The entire North India, a large part of Central India and many states of Eastern India are currently in the grip of severe cold wave and dense fog. The effect of the ongoing snowfall in the hilly states is clearly visible in the plains, where the cold has disrupted people’s daily routine.

Dense fog prevailed in many areas till Bihar, Odisha

According to the Meteorological Department, there was dense fog in many areas from Jammu and Kashmir to Bihar and Odisha, due to which visibility reduced to less than 50 meters. This had a direct impact on air and rail traffic. 66 flights had to be canceled in Delhi, while dozens of trains were running late by hours. The speed of vehicles also stopped on the roads.

Double attack of cold in Delhi-NCR

In the capital Delhi, the minimum temperature was recorded at 9.1 degrees and the maximum temperature was 17.4 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department has already issued red alert for Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The department estimates that there is very little chance of getting relief from cold and fog for the next one week.

Snow cover on mountains, excitement among tourists

Due to continuous snowfall in Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the mountains have become covered with white sheets. The minimum temperature was minus 7 degrees in Gulmarg, minus 6.2 degrees in Pahalgam and 0.1 degrees Celsius in Srinagar. Bandipora-Gurez road has been opened after snowfall, although Mughal Road is still closed. The number of tourists has increased rapidly in areas like Bhaderwah and Gulmarg.

Shivering cold in Himachal and Uttarakhand

After rain and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, the cold wave has become more intense. The temperature has gone below zero in many areas of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Upper Shimla. Minus 6.8 degrees was recorded in Tabo, minus 6.2 in Kukumseri and minus 3 degrees in Kalpa. The Himalayan peaks have again been covered with snow due to snowfall in the high altitude areas including Kedarnath and Munsiyari in Uttarakhand.

Winds improved, Grape-3 restrictions lifted

There has been improvement in the air quality of Delhi-NCR due to strong winds. Delhi’s AQI was 236, Ghaziabad 239, Faridabad 210, Noida 229 and Greater Noida 238. As the situation improved, GRAP-3 restrictions were lifted, allowing non-essential construction work and other activities to resume.

Western disturbance became the main cause of cold

According to meteorologists, active western disturbances, strong winds in the upper atmosphere and subtropical western jet stream (speed of about 140 knots) are making the cold more intense in North India. Its effect is visible from north-west to eastern and north-eastern India.

Weather havoc in Central and Eastern India also

The weather took a turn in Madhya Pradesh on the first day of the new year. In the northern parts of the state, dense fog occurred in 16 districts, while it remained cloudy in 5 districts. A slight increase in minimum temperature has been recorded in some parts of West Bengal, while yellow alert has been issued in 11 districts of Jharkhand from January 3.

There will be no relief now

The Meteorological Department clearly says that the outbreak of cold, cold wave and fog will continue for the coming few days. Further drop in temperature is possible, in such a situation people have been advised to remain alert and make complete arrangements to protect themselves from cold.