The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Prayagraj on January 16 and 17 due to anticipated downpours and fog conditions. This warning comes as the Kumbh Mela, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings continues to attract millions of devotees. IMD Scientist stated to ANI, the possibility of rainfall and fog that is expected to impact the region, she cautioned that though fog won’t be too dense but its impact can be significant.
Weather Forecast for Uttar Pradesh
IMD Scientist Soma Sen Roy highlighted the broader weather patterns that are affecting the region. ‘’ A western disturbance is currently positioned over Pakistan, accompanied by an induced cyclonic circulation over South Haryana and it is heading towards eastward. Under its influence, thunderstorms are expected in hilly areas, snowfall in hill states, and showers in western Uttar Pradesh, ‘’ she stated. The Met Department has also predicted another western disturbance from January 18 to January 19 and one more from January 21 to January 22, due to which hill states and plains are likely to get rainfall.
Dense fog in Northern India
The temperatures in northwest India including Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab are expected to decline by 2-3 degrees Celsius in the next couple of days. As a result, these regions are expected to experience dense fog on January 17 and January 18. A yellow alert for dense fog in western Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana has been issued for the same duration.
In Prayagraj, the Maha Kumbh has already seen a massive turnout, with more than 6 crore devotees participating since its first day, including 3.5 crore who attended the religious event on Makar Sankranti. As per the latest report, on January 16, thousands took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam despite the Weather Department’s forecast of light downpours and dense fog. An AI-driven lost and found center has been set up by the Prayagraj administration to monitor the influx of pilgrims.
Heavy rainfall Prediction
Meanwhile, heavy downpours were witnessed in Tirunelveli (13 cm) and Tamil Nadu. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are projected to receive moderate to intense rainfall on January 18 as yellow alerts have also been issued for these regions.
