Nation Experiences Warmer Winter with Dense Fog, Absence of Cold Wave

Widespread dense fog has enveloped a significant portion of North India, contributing to warmer winter temperatures that remain above the seasonal norm. Despite the dense fog, the absence of a cold wave is notable, and no significant drop in temperatures is anticipated over the next week. The regions most affected by this combination of smoke and fog, particularly in Northwest, Central, and Eastern India, have experienced poor air quality, leading to minimum temperatures that are 2-4 °C higher than usual.

Among the 33 districts monitored by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in seven states of Northern, Central, and Eastern India, only three districts, two in Rajasthan and one in Madhya Pradesh, have recorded temperatures below normal. Notably, cities in Northern India, such as Amritsar, Ambala, and various parts of Delhi, are experiencing warmer temperatures, with Amritsar showing a departure of 6.8 °C from the normal range. The IMD’s initial outlook indicates no significant cold wave expected across the country until January 4, 2024. However, there is a projected high probability of cold waves in specific pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and north Rajasthan in the second week of January, with moderate probabilities in other areas like UP, MP, and the rest of Rajasthan.

According to the latest forecast from the IMD, dense fog is likely to persist over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh-Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh from the night of December 29 to the morning of December 31, extending to some pockets for the subsequent three days. Similar conditions are anticipated in isolated pockets of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura in the coming days. Additionally, the influence of a feeble Western Disturbance is expected to bring light isolated rainfall or snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand from December 29 onward, while lower easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal are likely to result in light isolated rainfall over Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh from December 31, 2023, to January 2, 2024.