Thick Fog in Chandigarh, Cold Wave in Haryana and Punjab, and Poor Air Quality in Delhi

Thick fog in Chandigarh on Friday

Chandigarh News: Thick fog in Chandigarh on Friday, bringing down visibility and lowering the temperatures to a nippy 6 degrees Celsius. The cold gripped the region as Haryana and Punjab remained in the grip of biting cold while the highest daytime temperatures were significantly below normal. However, the region can look forward to slight respite as the western disturbance forecasts a marginal increase in temperatures by the IMD.

Haryana and Punjab suffered under the piercing cold. In many places, early morning fog worsened the visibility woes. Amritsar in Punjab recorded a maximum of 11 degrees Celsius while Mohali at 10.7 degrees Celsius. Ludhiana registered a daytime high of 12 degrees Celsius while Patiala witnessed a slight respite at 14 degrees Celsius.

In Haryana, most areas reported a severe cold wave, disturbing daily activities and freezing conditions prevailed.

Poor Air Quality in Delhi

The National Capital reported deteriorating air quality conditions with the AQI reaching a high of 318, positioning it in the “very poor” category. The Central Pollution Control Board started updating again, after a few hours of suspense, confirming continued deterioration in the air quality.

Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday, marginally higher than 15 degrees Celsius it recorded the day before but three degrees below the seasonal norm. Parts of the capital, however, including Palam, Najafgarh, Pusa and Narela, faced “cold day” conditions.

Dense fog in Delhi early Thursday morning caused disruptions at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. General visibility dropped to zero around 6 a.m., and runway visibility ranged from 200 to 500 meters. While flights equipped with low-visibility landing systems managed operations, others faced delays and diversions.

The IMD has predicted a slight rise in maximum temperatures across northern India in the coming days. Delhi’s maximum temperature is expected to hover around 17 degrees Celsius on Friday and rise marginally to 18 degrees Celsius by Saturday.

As northern India struggles in dense fog and biting cold, life is still badly disrupted, including transportation. While the IMD has forecast a slight respite with rising temperatures, citizens hope conditions would get better in the days ahead.