Fog grips Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula for fourth day; orange alert issued for Sunday
Yellow alert issued for dense fog at isolated places for the coming week; skies are expected to remain partly cloudy to mainly clear, with dry weather and no rainfall forecast
Dense to very dense fog continued to choke Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula region for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, keeping the sun elusive under a partly cloudy sky and bringing light, chilly winds that added a bite to the air. Visibility remained poor through large parts of the day, disrupting normal life, while a slight dip in day temperatures intensified the winter chill across Tricity.
Even as days turned cooler, Tricity witnessed an unusual contrast on Friday night, recording the warmest minimum temperature in Punjab and Haryana. The Chandigarh airport observatory logged a minimum of 11.6°C, while the city station recorded 11.3°C — both significantly above normal. Tricity’s night temperature was more than double the lowest minimums in the region, with Faridkot shivering at 4.9°C in Punjab and Jind at 5.2°C in Haryana, highlighting sharp spatial contrasts across the plains.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), dense to very dense fog was observed at a few places in Punjab and at isolated places in Haryana during the last 24 hours, while weather otherwise remained dry. Day temperatures in both states fell further — by about 2.6°C in Punjab and 4°C in Haryana on average — and stayed appreciably below normal, a trend reflected across Tricity as well.
At the Chandigarh weather observatory, the maximum temperature settled at 18.3°C, about 2°C below normal, while relative humidity levels remained very high, peaking at 96 per cent and not dropping below 83 per cent, creating ideal conditions for fog persistence. Calm to very light winds prevailed for most of the day and night, preventing dispersal of moisture-laden air.
Mohali and Panchkula reported similar conditions, with fog lingering from late night through morning hours and haze and mist dominating the daytime spell.
The IMD has sounded an orange alert for dense to very dense fog at a few places in Tricity on Sunday. This will be followed by a yellow alert for dense fog at isolated places on Monday and again from Wednesday through Saturday, indicating that foggy mornings are likely to continue for much of the coming week. Skies are expected to remain partly cloudy to mainly clear, with dry weather and no rainfall forecast during this period.
Maximum temperatures in Tricity are forecast to range between 18°C and 23°C over the next few days, while minimum temperatures are expected to fluctuate between 9°C and 13°C, gradually trending downward after Monday. High humidity and light winds are likely to sustain fog formation, especially during late night and early morning hours.
In contrast, nearby hill stations continued to feel a sharper winter edge. Shimla and other mid-hill areas reported much lower night temperatures with clearer conditions, underscoring the inversion-driven warmth over the plains even as fog tightened its grip.
Meteorologists said the combination of high moisture, calm winds and shallow cold air trapped near the surface is driving the prolonged fog spell across north-west India.
With road, rail and air traffic vulnerable to sudden drops in visibility, authorities have advised commuters to exercise caution during early morning and late-night hours as the fog season shows no sign of easing in the immediate future.
