Mercury reaches minus for the first time in the season, no relief from fog, red alert in 16 districts

Chandigarh: North India awoke to a considerable amount of dust on Monday, yet the harsh cold wave persisted due to cold waves. In Punjab, the night temperature plummeted to below freezing for the first time this season.

Nawanshahr (SBS Nagar) recorded the lowest temperature in the state at -0.2 degrees. The night temperature in Punjab decreased by 0.2 degrees, now resting 1.9 degrees below the normal. The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for fog on Tuesday, impacting over 400 domestic and international flights and more than 100 trains in Delhi. 68 flights had to be canceled.

Tragically, four lives were lost in three accidents on Sunday night and Monday morning, including two friends, an elderly person, and a truck driver.

According to the Meteorological Department’s alert, very dense fog is expected in 16 districts of Punjab, including Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Fazilka, Muktsar, Moga, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Patiala.

These districts will experience both cold wave and cold day conditions. Additionally, an orange alert has been issued for Wednesday, and a yellow alert for Thursday and Friday. On Monday, visibility was only 25 meters in Patiala due to morning fog, and 50 meters each in Ludhiana and Amritsar.