New Year’s Eve saw a sharp dip in temperatures due to a cold wave, which continued to affect North India, including Delhi NCR, on the first day of the year. People across the region were seen gathered around bonfires for warmth, while several mountainous areas experienced snowfall. The cold wave is expected to intensify further, especially in the plains.
Fog and low clouds have settled over northwest, central, eastern, and northeastern India, with patches of fog also reported in coastal Andhra Pradesh. In Delhi, the temperature dropped to 10°C around 7 AM. The capital’s maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 18°C and 9°C, respectively. The Meteorological Department has forecast light rain on January 4 and 5, which could lead to a further drop in temperatures, with the maximum potentially falling to 15°C.
Uttar Pradesh is also experiencing a severe cold wave, with temperatures continuing to plummet. The Meteorological Department has issued a severe cold alert for several districts, including Shravasti, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, and Baghpat, for January 2. Additional districts such as Meerut, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Bijnor, Amroha, and Moradabad may also experience intense cold. The maximum temperature has already dropped below 14°C in many areas, including Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, and Bareilly.
Bihar will also face persistent cold conditions. The Meteorological Department predicts a further drop in maximum temperatures by the weekend, with the worst-affected districts likely to include Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Buxar, Bhojpur, Arwal, Patna, Vaishali, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, and Khagaria. Dense fog is forecast for parts of Patna, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Nalanda, Aurangabad, Samastipur, Jehanabad, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Shivhar, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Purnea, and Saharsa.
An alert for dense fog has also been issued across North India, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and areas surrounding Delhi. The Meteorological Department has warned of dense fog in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. Ground frost is expected in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. These weather conditions are expected to persist through the weekend.
Rain is also on the horizon for several regions. The effect of a Western Disturbance is bringing rainfall to Jammu and Kashmir and nearby areas. South Tamil Nadu, particularly around Tirunelveli, may also experience rain, with precipitation having already occurred on January 1. Himachal Pradesh is likely to see fresh snowfall and rainfall starting January 2, with heavier rainfall expected on January 4 and 5.
