Delhi Shrouded in Thick Fog: Orange Alert Issued as Cold Wave Hits North India

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North India is bracing for a prolonged spell of dense fog, with several states expected to remain under thick fog conditions till January 1. Delhi has been issued an orange alert on December 29, with the maximum temperature expected to reach 22°C and the minimum settling at 7°C. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of cold wave conditions in isolated areas of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh on December 28 and 29. A fresh Western Disturbance is expected to hit the western Himalayan region from December 30, affecting the adjoining plains from December 31 onwards. Poor visibility has been reported in several regions, with very dense fog observed in many parts of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Several cities, including Amritsar, Pathankot, Agra, and Prayagraj, have recorded extremely poor visibility, with visibility dropping to near zero at times. Delhi's Safdarjung area recorded a visibility of around 100 meters during the morning hours. Isolated areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have reported cold day conditions, while cold wave conditions have been recorded in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. In other weather updates, light to moderate rainfall and snowfall are expected in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad between December 30 and January 2. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds are likely over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from December 28 to January 1. Minimum temperatures over the past 24 hours have fallen below 5°C in many parts of the western Himalayan region. The weather office has advised fishermen not to venture into the South Andaman Sea on December 28 due to unfavourable weather conditions.