A biting cold wave has tightened its grip across several regions of India, with sub-zero temperatures in Kashmir, travel disruption in Himachal’s Rohtang Pass, and yellow alerts issued in parts of Odisha
as dense fog and below-normal temperatures continue to sweep the country.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the cold spell will persist over central Maharashtra, Marathwada, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh until December 13, and in Telangana and north interior Karnataka until December 14.
Odisha is among the worst hit, prompting IMD to issue yellow weather alerts for several districts through Friday and Saturday.
Anugul, Sundargarh, Kendrapara, Kalahandi and Koraput are among the areas flagged for significant temperature drops.
At least 15 locations across 11 districts recorded minimum temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius on Thursday, officials told ANI, disrupting daily routines as the cold intensified.
Kashmir Valley Plunges Below Freezing
The Kashmir Valley is battling harsh winter conditions, with temperatures slipping further below freezing. After hovering around zero on Wednesday, the mercury fell sharply again, marking one of the coldest spells of the season.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of –2.9 degrees Celsius on Thursday, IMD data revealed, forcing residents to brace for icy mornings and frost-laden nights.
In Himachal Pradesh, the worsening cold wave has led authorities to close the Rohtang Pass, a key tourist and transit route near Manali.
Adverse conditions have halted vehicular movement beyond Darcha in Kullu district, cutting off high-altitude access points as snow and cold winds dominate the region.
Delhi Faces Falling Temperatures
Delhi remains trapped under a layer of toxic smog even as temperatures continue to dip. The city’s air quality stayed in the “very poor” category on Friday morning.
While the capital has no cold-wave warning, minimum temperatures have slipped by about 1 degree Celsius, settling between 8 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius over recent days.
IMD warns that the December–February period may see more cold-wave days than usual, posing added risks for the elderly, children and those with existing health conditions. Dense fog is also expected to disrupt air, rail and road movement.
Why India Is Experiencing Extreme Cold Wave
IMD attributes the current chill to a strengthened polar vortex, a mass of intensely cold air circulating near the poles, that is pushing frigid winds deeper into central, northwest and northeast India.
The effect is being intensified by La Niña, which tends to bring colder-than-normal winter conditions to the subcontinent.
A cold wave is officially declared when the minimum temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius and is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius lower than normal for two consecutive days at a minimum of two stations.
