Cold wave, dense fog grip Delhi, UP, other states; check IMD`s weather update

New Delhi: Spine-chilling cold wave conditions hit various states across India on the second day of 2023. People were found huddled around bonfires to beat the chilly winters. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, the minimum and maximum temperatures in January 2023 are most likely to remain below normal over many parts of central India and adjoining areas of peninsular, east, and northwest India. Cold waves gripped the national capital, and the minimum temperature dipped to 8 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital was recorded in the `very poor` category with the AQI reaching 301. Cold wave and fog conditions also continued to prevail over West Bengal’s capital Kolkata, along with Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, and other states. 

"For the next three days, surface wind speed (calm to 12 km/h) and temperature (maximum 19-18 degrees Celsius; minimum 6-4 degrees) are likely to worsen the air quality. Mixing layer height is likely to be 1.0 km that helps dilution of pollutants," said the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research.

Meanwhile, the IMD predicted that due to light winds and high moisture near the surface over the Indo-Gangetic plains, dense to very dense fog is very likely in some pockets in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh in the next 2-3 days and isolated pockets over Bihar during the next four days.

Dense fog in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura will prevail during the next 2-3 days, it said.

"Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions in isolated pockets is very likely over the northern parts of Rajasthan during January 1-3 and cold wave conditions thereafter. Cold wave conditions in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during January 1-4; over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi during January 1-5 and over West Uttar Pradesh on January 2 and 3," the Department added.

Madhya Pradesh started the new year on a severely cold note and the MeT has forecast a cold wave across the state till January 4 that will cause the mercury to remain below 10 degrees Celsius on Monday, a meteorologist said. Guna recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 5.6 degrees Celsius. There is fog during the night, the MeT office said, adding that the situation will continue for the next three to four days in the state. Gwalior and Rewa witnessed low visibility due to dense fog in the morning, as per the weather office. Bhopal meteorologist HS Pandey said, "As it was predicted in the past that the first week of January 2023, especially from January 1 to 4, the cold wave will remain in the entire state. Based on that, today, the temperature in the entire state will remain less than 10 degrees in the state." 

As per IMD, above-normal to normal minimum temperatures are most likely over southern parts of the south Peninsula, many parts of northeast India, and some parts of northwest India. 

(With inputs from agencies)