Brace for severe cold, fog in next 24 hours, IMD issues red alert for Punjab

Commuters make their way on a cold morning in Muktsar.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a red alert for Punjab forecasting severe cold day and very dense fog during the next 24 hours.

The IMD, the country’s nodal weather agency, stated that the state might experience dense to very dense fog conditions for a few hours at night and morning over some parts of Punjab between January 20 night to January 22.

“Cold day to severe cold day conditions are very likely to continue in some parts of Punjab on Sunday,” said an IMD official.

As per the IMD, minimum temperatures in the state have been in the range of 6-10 degrees Celsius over the past 24 hours. Patiala recorded the coldest day in the state, with the minimum temperature dropping to 4.4 degrees Celsius.

Amritsar recorded a minimum temperature of 8.4 degrees Celsius, four notches above the normal, while Ludhiana recorded a low of 8.8 degrees Celsius, according to a report from the Meteorological Department here.

Pathankot, Bathinda, Faridkot and Gurdaspur experienced cold conditions with minimum temperatures of 8.3 degrees Celsius, 6 degrees Celsius, 6.8 degrees Celsius and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively.

In neighbouring Haryana, Bhiwani reeled at a minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees Celsius. Ambala, Hisar, Karnal, Narnaul, Rohtak and Sirsa experienced cold conditions at 8 degrees Celsius, 6.1 degrees Celsius, 8.6 degrees Celsius, 6 degrees Celsius, 9 degrees Celsius and 7.8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The IMD, on the continuously prevailing extreme weather conditions in the northwest region, said that very dense fog conditions have been persisting over the plains of Northwest India since December 25. The maximum, in intensity and duration, was recorded on January 14 when zero visibility was observed over the entire region.

IMD attributed to prevailing severe weather conditions to a lack of any active Western Disturbance (WD) over Northwest India, prevailing El-Nino conditions and strong Jet stream winds in the upper troposphere or lower stratosphere.

El Nino has a strong influence on the southwest monsoon in India. El Nino years are characterised by an unusual warming of waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific, which has a high correlation with warmer summers and weaker monsoon rains in India.

“The prevailing severe weather over north India is primarily owing to the lack of any active WD over Northwest India during December and January. Generally, 5-7 WDs impact Northwest India from December to January. But this winter, so far, no WD has been received. As a result, the Western Himalayan Region has received very little precipitation (rain/snow) during the month of December (-80% departure from normal). Similarly, in the month of January till 17th, there is almost no precipitation over the region,” said IMD officials.

The IMD has attributed less number of WDs in the region due to El Nino conditions over the Equatorial Pacific Ocean.

The IMD officials further said that the strong Jet stream winds of the order 250-320 kmph at about 12 km above mean sea level had been prevailing over North India over the last five days. “It (weather phenomenon) is leading to the subsidence of cold air and enhancing cold wave, cold day conditions over North India,” said IMD officials.

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