Dense fog blankets 13 states, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan: 20 accidents reported in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana due to zero visibility, resulting in 12 deaths in a pile-up involving 80 vehicles

Dense fog was observed on Monday morning in 13 states of the country, including Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Visibility was recorded as zero in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Delhi on Monday morning due to the fog. Even at 8:30 AM, nothing was clearly visible even 10 meters away on the roads.

Near Anwarpur in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, about six vehicles collided. Several people were injured in the accident. In different districts of Uttar Pradesh, 22 vehicles were involved in 6 road accidents due to fog on Sunday. Seven people died and 10 were injured.

In Haryana, road accidents occurred at 14 locations across 7 districts. 58 vehicles were involved in these accidents. Four people, including an 11th-grade student, died in the accidents. In Gurugram, the traffic police have banned parking on the roads.

Meanwhile, a drop in temperature was recorded in the hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir due to snowfall on Sunday night. The lowest temperature, -2.7°C, was recorded in Pulwama. The night temperature in Srinagar was 2°C.

Air quality in Delhi-NCR extremely poor

The air quality in Delhi-NCR has become extremely poor. After the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached a dangerous level of 497 on Sunday, stricter measures have been implemented. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has ordered all state governments to immediately stop all outdoor sports activities in schools and institutions. The commission warned that continuing such activities could pose a “serious health risk” to children.

Uttarakhand: No snowfall in Kedarnath and Tungnath for a month

During the light snowfall in October and November, about one and a half feet of snow accumulated in Kedarnath, but it melted within two days as the weather improved. Since then, for more than a month, since November 4th, there has been no snowfall in Kedarnath. The Meru-Sumeru mountain ranges behind Kedarnath, situated at an altitude of 11,750 feet, are also visible without snow cover. The same situation prevails in areas like Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Tungnath, and Auli.

Tungnath, located at an altitude of over 12,000 feet, where there is usually a thick layer of snow at this time of year, also shows bare ground. The lack of snow is causing a severe shortage of moisture in these areas, which is directly affecting the rare plant life found there.

Snowfall Alert for December 18-19

The last significant rainfall and snowfall in the Western Himalayan regions occurred on November 4th and 5th. Before that, there was light snowfall on October 2nd and heavy snowfall on October 6th in the first week of October. At that time, about 80% of the upper regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh were covered in snow. Now, there are chances of significant snowfall again on December 18th and 19th.

Uttarakhand: Kedarnath at minus 14 degrees Celsius, snow melting on the hills; temperature to drop by 2-3 degrees in 4-5 days

The temperature in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand, has dropped to minus 14 degrees Celsius, and in Badrinath to minus 11 degrees Celsius. According to the Meteorological Department, the minimum temperature in the state is likely to drop further by 2 to 3 degrees in the next 4-5 days. However, the snow on the mountains in areas like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Uttarkashi, and Pithoragarh has started melting.

Bihar: Dense fog for 4 days, Kishanganj the coldest district with temperature reaching 8 degrees; air pollution makes air toxic in Patna

The cold weather is intensifying in Bihar. On Sunday, Kishanganj was the coldest district with a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius. The temperature in Patna was recorded at 14 degrees Celsius. Along with the cold, the effect of dense fog in the mornings and evenings is also increasing. According to the Meteorological Department, dense fog will prevail in most districts, including Buxar, Begusarai, and Patna, for the next four days. During this period, visibility is expected to be between 150 and 200 meters.

Madhya Pradesh: Dense fog alert in 14 districts, Gwalior-Chambal region most affected; cold expected to intensify after 3 days

Along with the cold, dense fog has also started to blanket Madhya Pradesh. The Meteorological Department issued a dense fog alert on Monday for 14 districts in the Gwalior, Chambal, Sagar, Jabalpur, and Rewa divisions. Several cities experienced biting cold along with fog on Sunday. Pachmarhi was the coldest, with a minimum temperature of 5.2 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department has predicted that the cold will intensify in the state after the next two to three days.

Rajasthan: Temperature rises by up to 3 degrees in Sikar-Fatehpur, providing relief from the cold; dense fog in Ganganagar and Hanumangarh

Most parts of the Bikaner, Jodhpur, Ajmer, and Jaipur divisions of Rajasthan remained partly cloudy on Sunday. This led to a drop in the maximum temperature in several cities. However, due to weakening cold winds, the minimum temperature increased by up to 3 degrees Celsius, providing some relief from the cold at night. On Sunday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 7.5 degrees in Fatehpur, 9 degrees in Sikar, 9.6 degrees in Pilani, and 9.8 degrees in Churu. In Sikar, the temperature had been below 5 degrees for the past several days.