Delhiites Brace For Chilly Winter As Temperature Drops Below 5 Degrees, Fog Engulfs North India

New Delhi: The national capital witnessed a sharp drop in temperature on Friday, as the mercury plunged below 5 degrees for the first time this season. The minimum temperature recorded at 4.9 degrees was 4 degrees lower than the normal for this time of the year. The maximum temperature on Thursday was 24.1 degrees. As the cold wave gripped Delhi, several parts of north and northeast India also faced foggy conditions on Friday morning, hampering visibility and affecting normal life.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that very dense fog was seen in isolated pockets over Punjab, while shallow to moderate fog was observed in isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura at 0530 hours on Friday.

“Fog Observed (at 0530 hours IST of today, December 15): Very dense fog observed at isolated pockets over Punjab shallow to moderate fog observed in isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura,” IMD posted on ‘X’.

In Amritsar, which was enveloped in dense fog, people lit bonfires to keep themselves warm amid the biting cold.

The visibility at 0530 hours IST was less than or equal to 500 metres in many places. Amritsar in Punjab reported zero visibility, while Patiala had 500 metres of visibility. In Uttar Pradesh’s Ghoorpur, visibility was 200 metres, while Lucknow and Varanasi had 500 metres of visibility each. Purnea in Bihar and Guwahati in Assam and Meghalaya also had 200 metres of visibility, while Kailashahar in Tripura had 500 metres of visibility.

“Visibility recorded (at 0530 hours IST of today, 15th Dec) (≤500 metres): Punjab: Amritsar-0, Pataila-500; Uttar Pradesh: Ghoorpur-200, Lucknow & Varanasi-500 each; Bihar: Purnea-200; Assam & Meghalaya: Guwahati-200; Tripura: Kailashahar-500,” the IMD posted on ‘X’.

Fog is a weather phenomenon in which tiny droplets of water form a thick cloud near the land or sea, making it hard to see. Driving becomes hazardous in thick fog, as visibility is reduced to a few metres.

Here are some possible headlines for the paraphrased version:

How Delhi and other parts of India are coping with the cold wave and foggy conditions
Cold wave and fog hit Delhi and north and northeast India, temperature dips below 5 degrees
Temperature drops below 5 degrees in Delhi, fog affects visibility in north and northeast India
Delhi and north and northeast India face chilly and foggy weather, temperature below 5 degrees