Ganges Delta Below a Winter Shroud of Fog

Winter climate took maintain throughout the Indo-Gangetic Plain in early January 2026, bringing dense fog and chilly temperatures to a lot of the flat, fertile lands that span from Pakistan and northern India to Bangladesh.

This picture reveals low-lying clouds over the delta on the morning of January 6, captured by the MODIS (Reasonable Decision Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite tv for pc. Dense fog, significantly radiation fog, is frequent this time of 12 months, forming when floor temperatures are cool, winds are gentle, and moisture is ample close to the floor. The meteorological departments of each Bangladesh and India referred to as for average to very dense fog over the area that day amid an ongoing chilly wave.

Different comparatively low-level clouds prolong from the land areas and over the Bay of Bengal. These lengthy, parallel bands of clouds, often known as cloud streets, can kind when chilly air passes over hotter open water, gaining warmth and moisture. Rising thermals ascend till they attain a temperature inversion that acts like a lid, forcing the air to roll into lengthy, parallel rotating cylinders. Clouds develop the place the air rises, whereas clear skies seem the place the air sinks.

Whereas it seems scenic from above, foggy situations can pose hazards and snarl each day life for folks on the bottom. For example, dense fog early within the month prompted main disruptions on the worldwide airport in Dhaka, based on native information stories. Related disruptions, together with journey delays on roads and railways, have been reported in components of northern, central, and japanese India.

NASA Earth Observatory picture by Lauren Dauphin, utilizing MODIS knowledge from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen.

• Bangladesh Meteorological Division (2026, January 5) Climate Forecast Legitimate For 120 Hours Commencing 06 PM of 05.01.2026. Accessed January 8, 2026.
• Dhaka Tribune (2026, January 2) Flights diverted one after one other as dense fog disrupts Dhaka airport operations. Accessed January 8, 2026.
• India Meteorological Division (2026, January 5) Press Launch. Accessed January 8, 2026.
• NASA Earth Observatory (2024, January 18) Fog Blankets the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Accessed January 8, 2026.
• The New Indian Specific (2026, January 4) Chilly wave persist in Delhi, northern India, flights disrupted amid dense fog. Accessed January 8, 2026.