North India shuddered! UP-Bihar, Punjab-Haryana in the grip of dense fog and cold wave; Mercury reached minus in Kashmir

Lucknow/New Delhi: Winter has wreaked havoc in North India. Visibility has become extremely low due to dense fog and cold wave, while the temperature in Jammu and Kashmir has reached below zero. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of very dense fog in many areas on the morning of 28 December.

Dense fog alert in these states

According to IMD, there will be dense to very dense fog at many places in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Assam-Meghalaya. At the same time, there is a possibility of fog in Bihar, East Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu region, Uttarakhand, Odisha, East Rajasthan and many parts of the Northeast. The temperature in Kashmir valley has reached minus and fresh snowfall may start soon.

Shivering cold in UP

The effect of cold wave and fog is in full swing in Uttar Pradesh. The day temperature was recorded much below normal. The maximum temperature in Lucknow was 18 degrees Celsius (3.1 degrees below normal) and the minimum was 10.8 degrees. The day temperature in Gorakhpur was only 13.2 degrees (7.4° less), and in Prayagraj it was 16.8 degrees (6.1° less). Temperatures in Varanasi, Bareilly, Etawah, Bahraich and Barabanki were also 4-6 degrees below average. The minimum temperature in Etawah dropped to 6.2 degrees.

Visibility is likely to be lowest due to fog in eastern UP. The Meteorological Department has advised to take extra caution while driving in the early morning. In the next few days, the maximum temperature may remain around 19° and the minimum around 10°. Warm clothes and vigilance are necessary to protect from cold.