Chandigarh, 19 November 2024: Chandigarh is experiencing an unusual onset of dense fog, with visibility dropping to 100 meters in some areas during the night. Typically arriving after mid-December, fog has appeared earlier this year, coinciding with a noticeable drop in temperatures. The Meteorological Department predicts dense fog conditions will persist until November 23.
The night temperature has fallen below 15 degrees, with Sunday night recording 14.3 degrees. Day temperatures have also dropped significantly, with an 8-degree decline over the last eight days. Sunday’s maximum temperature was recorded at 25.3 degrees.
Surinder Pal, Director of the Meteorological Department, attributed the early fog and cold to a north-to-west wind pattern. Recent snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, delayed compared to previous years, has intensified the cold in the plains.
This shift in weather patterns, caused by the absence of active Western Disturbances, has brought moisture-laden winds, increasing fog formation during the night and early morning. The observatory in Sector 39 recorded visibility ranging between 100 and 300 meters from midnight to early morning hours.
Despite the fog, the city’s air quality has improved after 11 days of severe pollution but remains in the “poor” category. No rainfall is expected for the next 10 days, according to the Met department.
