A severe cold wave has gripped large parts of north India, with temperatures dipping sharply across Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, as warned by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Dense fog and biting cold swept through several regions on Monday, signalling the onset of a prolonged chilly spell.
In south Kashmir, Shopian emerged as the coldest location, recording a minimum temperature of –4.2°C. Srinagar also experienced freezing conditions, logging –2.5°C overnight. Higher-altitude areas of central Kashmir witnessed light snowfall, causing the Srinagar–Leh national highway to become slippery.
IMD Cold Wave and Dense Fog Forecast
The IMD has predicted that cold wave conditions will intensify across central, eastern and northern peninsular India starting December 9. Northwest and western regions are expected to be impacted from December 10 to December 12.
According to the latest bulletin:
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Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha may face cold wave conditions from December 10–13.
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Punjab is likely to see similar conditions from December 11–13.
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Vidarbha and Telangana may be affected on December 10–11.
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Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada could experience cold wave conditions on December 12–13.
Dense fog is expected during early morning hours in:
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Assam and Manipur from December 10–14
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Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Odisha on December 10–11
Temperature Trend Over North India
The IMD expects a 2°C drop in minimum temperatures across the northwestern plains over the next two days. This will be followed by a stable period, and then a gradual rise of 2–4°C over the subsequent three days.
Snowfall in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir
Cold wave conditions spread across the tribal belts of Himachal Pradesh as Rohtang Pass, near Manali in Kullu district, and other upper regions received fresh snowfall on Monday.
Due to worsening conditions, officials have closed the Manali–Leh road beyond Darcha, restricting vehicle movement for safety.
