A severe cold wave tightened its hold over northern India on Saturday, with sub-zero temperatures recorded in many hill regions and dense fog blanketing large parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi. Meteorological officials warned that the chill is likely to continue through the weekend, bringing discomfort to residents and impacting visibility on roads and highways.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Shopian reported the lowest temperature in the region, with the mercury dipping to minus 6.4 degrees Celsius. Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, while tourist destinations Pahalgam and Gulmarg registered lows of minus 4.4 and minus 2.6 degrees Celsius respectively. The Met department said light snowfall is expected in isolated areas of north and central Kashmir on Monday, although Sunday is likely to remain dry.
Himachal Pradesh also experienced sharp temperature drops. A yellow alert was issued for dense fog in the reservoir area of the Bhakra dam in Bilaspur and parts of the Balh valley in Mandi during early morning hours. The Spiti region remained the coldest district with a minimum temperature of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, while Kangra recorded a daytime high of 26 degrees Celsius despite the chill.
Delhi woke up to a thick layer of pollution hanging over the city. The minimum temperature stood at 6.8 degrees Celsius, nearly three degrees below normal, while the air quality index remained in the “very poor” category at 330. The India Meteorological Department forecast shallow fog on Sunday morning with a partly cloudy sky and temperatures ranging between 9 and 24 degrees Celsius.
Cold weather conditions were reported across Haryana and Punjab as well. Narnaul was the coldest in Haryana at 3.8 degrees Celsius, while Faridkot in Punjab recorded a low of 2.5 degrees Celsius. Several other cities, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bhiwani and Karnal, reported temperatures between four and nine degrees Celsius.
Rajasthan also continued to experience widespread cold, with Fatehpur registering the state’s lowest temperature of 2.3 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists said a weak western disturbance may raise minimum temperatures slightly over the next few days, but the chill is expected to remain.
Further east, parts of Jharkhand recorded minimum temperatures as low as 3 degrees Celsius, prompting a yellow alert for multiple districts. In West Bengal, Kolkata witnessed the coldest morning of the season at 14.5 degrees Celsius, with foggy conditions forecast for the evening.
As winter deepens across the northern belt, officials advised residents to take precautions against fog, pollution and sudden temperature fluctuations. The weather department expects brief relief later in the week, but night temperatures are likely to remain below normal in most areas.