Dense fog blankets Chandigarh as students return to first day of normal school timings

Just when residents were expecting winter to loosen its grip, dense to very dense fog staged a sharp comeback across Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula on Tuesday, coinciding with the first day of normal school timings after the break.

Thick fog, high humidity, and a biting chill marked the morning hours, disrupting traffic and daily routines as children were seen heading to schools through poor visibility, wrapped in layers of woolens.

Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, witnessed heavy fog during the early hours, with visibility dropping sharply.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), fog was observed in the city from 6.30 am to 8.30 am, following prolonged spells of mist and haze since Monday evening.

Very dense fog was also recorded at Chandigarh airport and at several locations across Punjab and Haryana, highlighting the widespread nature of the weather disturbance.

In the past 24 hours, Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 21.9°C, slightly above normal, while the minimum settled at 9.8°C, also marginally higher than average.

However, high moisture levels intensified the discomfort, with maximum relative humidity touching 95 per cent and the minimum remaining around 59 per cent, making the cold feel far more severe than the actual temperature readings. No rainfall was recorded during the period.

The severity of the chill became more striking when compared with popular hill stations. Shimla recorded a maximum of 12.4°C and a minimum of 3°C, Srinagar 10°C and 2.8°C, Manali a freezing 3°C maximum and 1.4°C minimum, and Dharamshala 19.1°C and 4.8°C. Despite having significantly higher temperatures on paper, Chandigarh’s dense fog and high humidity made mornings feel comparable to, and in some cases harsher than, those in these hill destinations.

The IMD said weather remained dry across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, but warned that dense to very dense fog could continue at isolated places over the next day.

The forecast for the Tricity region indicates mostly clear skies in the coming days, with maximum temperatures expected to range between 20°C and 22°C and minimum temperatures between 9°C and 10°C. However, late-night and early-morning fog is likely to persist, potentially continuing to affect visibility and travel.

With winter conditions lingering longer than expected, authorities have advised commuters to exercise caution during early morning hours, while parents and schools remain watchful as children resume full schedules amid challenging weather conditions.

Despite higher readings, dense fog and high humidity made Chandigarh’s chill feel sharper than several hill stations.

 City Vs Hills

Place                          Max           Min

Chandigarh               21.9°C       9.8°C

Shimla                       12.4°C       3.0°C

Manali                       3.0°C         1.4°C

Dharamshala            19.1°C       4.8°C

Srinagar                     10.0°C       2.8°C

(SOURCE: IMD)