New Delhi: Dense fog covered several parts of north India as the mercury dropped below freezing point in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted 'cold day' conditions in many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and in isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh on December 29, 30 and 31 as the region saw no respite from the chilly weather.
As per the weather office, dense to very dense fog conditions are very likely to continue in most places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for the next three days. A few pockets over north Rajasthan and Bihar will also witness similar weather conditions from December 29-31. Dense Fog conditions very likely to continue during morning hours in isolated pockets of Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand till January 2 and till December 31 in Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.
The weather office has also issued a dense fog warning for 30 districts in Uttar Pradesh. As per IMD, 30 districts, including Lucknow, will witness dense fog, especially at night and morning on Saturday and Sunday.
While visibility improved in parts of Delhi on Friday, it dropped to around 50 metres in Rourkela, Gaya and Patna.
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The maximum temperature settled at 19.8 degrees Celsius in the national capital, a notch below the season's average, while the minimum temperature hovered around 10.7 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal.
Eleven Delhi-bound trains were delayed due to the fog on Friday, news agency PTI reported.
Under the influence of a feeble Western Disturbance, IMD predicted light isolated rainfall and snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir on December 29, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on December 30 and 31.
Due to lower-level easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal, light isolated rainfall is likely over Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh from December 31 to January 2, as per IMD.
The weather office further said that "under the influence of a fresh easterly wave, light to moderate isolated to scattered rainfall very likely over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep from December 29, 2023, to January 2, 2024".
Light to moderate isolated to scattered rainfall is very likely over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep in the next three days due to a fresh easterly wave.