Northwest and Central India are bracing for a severe coldwave and dense fog in the coming days, as per a fresh warning from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Starting December 29, cold day conditions will grip parts of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, with temperatures expected to plunge further in Himachal, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan on December 30 and 31.
A sharp drop of 3–5°C is forecast across Northwest, West, and Central India. Himachal Pradesh, in particular, faces the harshest impact with a severe coldwave likely to dominate its higher regions. Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Rajasthan are also gearing up for sub-zero temperatures in some areas.
Dense to very dense fog will add to the challenges, significantly reducing visibility during late-night and early-morning hours in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. This will likely complicate travel plans across major highways and rail networks.
In Delhi, Friday's rainfall led to a significant drop in temperatures, intensifying cold conditions across the region. The IMD has issued an 'orange' alert, warning residents to prepare for severe cold wave conditions due to the incessant rainfall.
In Jammu and Kashmir, heavy snowfall has brought life to a standstill. The season's most intense snowstorm disrupted road, rail, and air traffic, leaving the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway closed and train services between Banihal and Baramulla suspended. Air traffic at Srinagar Airport remains frozen as authorities struggle with snow-clearing operations. Despite the chaos, locals in Gund opened a mosque to provide shelter for stranded travelers.
Continuous snowfall in Uttarakhand has blocked major routes, including the Badrinath and Joshimath-Niti highways, leaving hill stations like Auli and Hemkund Sahib isolated. Rainfall has compounded the issue, causing widespread power outages in villages like Karnaprayag and Narayanbagh.
In Punjab and Haryana, rains continue to impact cities such as Ludhiana and Ambala, while Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 15.1°C under overcast skies. Rajasthan saw moderate rain and hailstorms, with Jhalawar district recording 86 mm of rain.