Red alert issued for cold weather in Punjab on Lohri; Bathinda colder than Shimla and Mussoorie

January 13, 2026

A red alert for cold weather has been issued in Punjab today on Lohri. This is the first time this season that the Meteorological Department has issued such an alert. According to the Meteorological Department, the cold has reached its peak. There will be no relief from the biting cold until January 15th. Dense fog is expected in some districts during this period.

Due to the cold, the minimum temperature in Bathinda has dropped to 0.6 degrees Celsius for the first time. This is the lowest temperature recorded in Punjab this season. It is even colder than Shimla and Mussoorie. Considering the severity of the cold, the Punjab government has also issued an alert advising people to take precautions.

According to the Meteorological Department, some areas may experience rain on January 17th and 18th. This could provide some relief from the dry, biting cold. Due to the cold, the Punjab government has closed schools until January 13th. Schools will reopen from January 14th.

Severe cold in 9 districts, dense fog in 12 districts
According to the Meteorological Department, today (January 13th), the districts bordering Himachal Pradesh – Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar, Moga, and Bathinda – will experience extreme cold. A red alert for cold weather has been issued for these districts. Dense to very dense fog is expected in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Muktsar, Moga, Bathinda, and Ludhiana. A cold wave alert has also been issued for Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, and Nawanshahr. Some areas in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, and Jalandhar may experience very cold conditions even during the day.

Temperature will rise after January 15th
Chandigarh Meteorological Department Director Surinder Pal Singh said that the lack of rain is causing this dry, biting cold. However, sunshine has started appearing in several areas. Therefore, the daytime temperature will increase in the coming days. There will be no significant change in the minimum temperature for the next three days. After that, the temperature may gradually increase by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. A new Western Disturbance is likely to become active over the western Himalayan regions on January 15th, which will inevitably lead to a change in weather patterns. During this period, snowfall and rain are expected in the mountains. This will also affect Punjab.