Weather Update: Cold has increased due to rain in the eastern and central states of the country. There are chances of rain for two more days in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. According to the Meteorological Department, sporadic rain may also occur in Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Rain alert has been issued for the next five days in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Cold day alert has been issued in 6 states including Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. The minimum mercury reached freezing point in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. The mercury has been recorded at 1.0° Celsius in Sikar and 2.8° Celsius in Fatehpur.
Fog is present in 15 states including Punjab, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh. The situation may remain the same in these states on January 6 also. In view of the increasing cold, the Uttar Pradesh Education Department has changed the timings of secondary schools in the state. Schools will now operate from 10 am to 3 pm.
At the same time, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, winter holidays up to class 8 in government and private schools have been extended till January 13. Schools will open in Sikar also from January 15. At the same time, 22 trains from Delhi are running late due to fog.
Fog has also affected visibility. Visibility was less than 25 meters in Ambala, Bareilly, Sagar. Whereas, less than 50 meters visibility was recorded in Amritsar, Churu, Palam (Delhi), Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota, Udaipur, Bahraich, Gorakhpur, Gaya, Purnia.
How will the weather be in the future?
- There is a possibility of dense fog in Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal and different areas for a few hours in the morning on January 5.
- Fog conditions will persist in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura for the next two days.
- Due to formation of low pressure over the Arabian Sea, there is a possibility of rain in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka during the next 3-4 days. There may be light rain in MP and Jharkhand.
- There is a possibility of light scattered rain in East Madhya Pradesh on January 5. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will remain cloudy on January 5.
Meteorological Department’s advisory – be careful while driving
Traffic – Be careful while driving or traveling through any transport in fog. Drive slowly and use fog lights. Keep in touch with airlines, railways and state transport for travel schedules. Airlines companies have asked passengers to check the status of flights before leaving for the airport.
Health – Unless there is an emergency, avoid going out and keep your face covered. People suffering from asthma and bronchitis should avoid staying in dense fog for a long time. This may increase respiratory problems.