IMD issues 'dense fog' warning in these states; Delhi schools closed till Jan 15

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a fog warning for several northern Indian states for the next five days. In the next few years, dense to very dense fog is expected in several locations which include Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and adjoining north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

IMD forecasts the formation of dense fog in isolated pockets over Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, north Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Assam & Meghalaya and Mizoram & Tripura during the next 2-3 days.

IMD said, "Due to the continuation of prevailing light winds and high moisture near surface over Indo-Gangetic plains, dense to very dense fog very likely to continue in some parts during night & morning hours over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi & adjoining north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh during next 2 days and dense fog in isolated pockets thereafter for subsequent 3 days over the region."

The minimum temperature in Delhi and other northern Indian states fell to a bone-chilling 1.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday due to a severe cold wave. The weather stations at Lodhi Road, Ayanagar, Ridge, and Jafarpur recorded minimum temperatures of 2.8 degrees, 2.6 degrees, 2.2 degrees, and 2.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, as icy winds from the snow-covered mountains battered northwest India, including Delhi.

Visibility levels dropped to zero metres at Bhatinda and Agra; 25 metres at Patiala, Chandigarh, Hissar, Alwar, Pilani, Ganganagar, Lucknow, and Cooch Behar; and 50 metres at Amritsar and Ludhiana, Ambala, Bhiwani, Palam (Delhi), Fursatganj, Varanasi, Meerut, Gaya, and Dhubri.

According to the report, 200-meter visibility was recorded in Rohtak, Haryana; Safdarjung, Ridge, and Ayanagar, Delhi; Gorakhpur, Bahraich, and Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Bhagalpur, Bihar; Bagdogra, West Bengal; and a number of locations in Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has advised all private schools to remain closed until January 15. The Directorate of Education issued the warning on a day when Delhi recorded the lowest temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius. Delhi's government schools will also be closed until January 15.

"In continuation to the DOE's (Directorate of Education) earlier circular, all private schools of Delhi are advised to remain close till January 15, 2023, in the wake of cold wave prevailing in Delhi," the circular read.