Tricity braces for dense fog as night temperatures rise, days get cooler

A slight dip in day temperatures but a noticeable rise in night temperatures was recorded across Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula during the past 24 hours, even as dense fog is forecast at isolated places over the Tricity for the next two days. The weather remained dry across Punjab and Haryana, with shallow to moderate fog already reported at isolated locations in Punjab.

In Punjab, the average maximum temperature fell by 1.8°C compared to the previous day and remained near normal, while the average minimum temperature rose by about 2°C and stayed above normal. The highest maximum temperature in the state was 25.6°C in Faridkot, while the lowest minimum was 7.4°C in Ludhiana.

Haryana also saw a marginal fall of 0.7°C in average maximum temperature, which stayed near normal, while night temperatures edged up by around 0.6°C. The highest maximum in Haryana was 25.7°C, while the lowest minimum was 6.3°C in Hisar.

In the Tricity, Chandigarh recorded a maximum temperature of 21.6°C and a minimum of 8.5°C, Mohali saw a high of 22.7°C with a comparatively warmer night at 11.8°C, while Panchkula recorded 21.7°C as the maximum and 9.4°C as the minimum. The trend clearly reflects cooler days but milder nights, a pattern expected to persist over the next few days.

Relative humidity levels in Chandigarh remained high, touching a maximum of around 90 per cent and a minimum of about 54 per cent, creating favourable conditions for fog formation during night and early morning hours.

IMD forecast indicates partly cloudy skies over the Tricity for the next two days, with dense fog likely at isolated places during late night and morning hours. Night temperatures are expected to rise further, while day temperatures may gradually ease by another degree or two. No rainfall is forecast during this period.

Compared with nearby hill stations, Shimla continues to remain significantly colder, with much lower night temperatures than the plains, underlining the sharp contrast between the hills and the Tricity as winter conditions slowly strengthen in north-west India.