Due to snowfall in mountains, the entirety of Northern India has been engulfed in a chilling , while a red alert has been declared in Punjab-Haryana, issuing the possibility of ground frost (freezing of water due to frost on the ground). According to the Meteorological Department, Chandigarh, there is a possibility of cold wave at many places on January 13. To avoid this, stay indoors as much as possible and minimize travel due to fog. There will be dense fog during night and morning hours from 14 to 16 January.
Ground frost warning has been issued for the first time in this winter season. Ground frost refers to freezing of water on objects and plants and turning it into ice. In most parts of Punjab, the minimum temperature has dropped by 3-4 degrees and bone-chilling cold has started. At the same time, there is a possibility of dense to dense fog for the next few days due to which the life of people is likely to be severely disrupted.
In the beginning of the week, due to change in the direction of winds, the weather of Punjab started becoming dry and normal due to which Punjab was declared as Green Zone by the Meteorological Department. The snowfall in many areas including Kufri in the past few days has had a direct impact on the plains. Due to this, outbreak of cold wave is again being seen in Punjab. Amidst the Red Alert, the minimum temperature in Amritsar and Bathinda has fallen below 2 degrees while the maximum temperature has also fallen below 10 degrees. Recently, the minimum temperature had reached near 10 degrees, whereas now the maximum temperature has fallen below it, indicating the severity of cold. The Meteorological Department has indicated that there will be severe frost in the coming days.