IMD issues Heavy rains, Cold wave and Heavy fog from December 18

Indian Meteorological Department has issued an alert for the next 5 days, warning of heavy rain, snowfall, stormy winds, cold waves and dense fog. The country is witnessing some weird winter patterns.

Heavy rains are expected in Tamil Nadu on December 17-18 as a low-pressure area is likely to move towards Tamil Nadu. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema will experience heavy rains from December 17-19. Light to moderate rains will occur in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. Meanwhile, the governments of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are likely to announce a holiday for schools and colleges if there are heavy rains that cause chaos in the states. 

Cold wave conditions are likely to persist in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, East Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Maharashtra, Telangana, West Rajasthan, East Madhya Pradesh and West Madhya Pradesh. Dense fog may prevail in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Delhi's air pollution has spiked, with AQI at 418. A yellow alert for the cold wave has been issued until December 22. The temperatures will be in the range of 4-7°C (minimum) and 20-23°C (maximum).

Uttarakhand hilly areas have received snowfall with Kedarnath Dham receiving over a foot of snow. Heavy snowfall is likely after December 22.

Also read: December 18 Orange alert for Tamil Nadu; holiday for schools likely