Foggy conditions to improve after two days

NEW DELHI: Foggy conditions are likely to continue for another two days in northern India, but visibility will improve after that due to a change in wind condition, weather officials said.

Some parts of the region may have a longer and more intense spell of poor visibility due to cold conditions and moisture in the air, partly due to the cyclonic storm approaching the Indian coast in the Bay of Bengal, meteorologists said.

“We are expecting a western disturbance by next week. This will give a temporary reprieve from foggy conditions,” said M Mohapatra, head of weather services at the India Meteorological Department.

He said it was not possible for the weather office to give a seasonal or monthly outlook on fog or visibility at airports.

The weather office forecast that this year’s winter will not be very severe as temperatures are expected to be in the normal to above-normal range in most parts of the country. Very low temperature at the peak of winter often leads to low visibility in northern India — low temperature along with pollution often leads to a spike in the intensity of particulate matter in the air.

Foggy weather this month has disrupted flights and railway movement, apart from causing some road accidents.

Weather officials said this year’s winter rainfall would be normal in many parts of the region, but below average in the northernmost parts of the subcontinent.