Rajasthan Rain Alert : Widespread Rainfall in Jaipur, Kota, and Chittorgarh: Hailstorm Alert for 17 Districts; 12 Vehicles Collide on Expressway Amid Dense Fog

Jaipur: Several districts of Rajasthan, including Jaipur, Kota, Chittorgarh, and Bhilwara, witnessed overcast skies on Wednesday, leading to sporadic rainfall in some areas. In Chittorgarh’s Kapasan and nearby regions, intermittent light rain continued until noon, while Jaipur saw brief drizzles around 12:30 pm. The unpredictable weather kept residents shuttling between umbrellas and sunglasses, as sunny spells were punctuated by sudden showers.

The Meteorological Department has issued a weather alert for 17 districts in the state, warning of potential light to moderate rainfall accompanied by hailstorms. The affected districts include parts of Ajmer, Bharatpur, Kota, and Jaipur divisions.

Fog-Triggered Collision on Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway

Meanwhile, dense fog played havoc on the Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway near Suratgarh in Sri Ganganagar, resulting in a pile-up involving 12 vehicles around 8:30 am. Among the vehicles were two trucks that caught fire after colliding. Fortunately, the truck drivers managed to escape by jumping out in time. Two individuals sustained injuries and were rushed to a government hospital in Pilibanga.

According to reports, one of the trucks, carrying wooden planks, caught fire after being hit by a container. The flames quickly spread to the wooden load, prompting emergency responses from police teams in Pilibanga, Rajiasar, and Hanumangarh. Eight trucks, three smaller vehicles, and one National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) vehicle were involved in the chain-reaction collision caused by poor visibility due to thick fog.

Changing Weather Patterns Across Rajasthan

In the past 24 hours, while clear skies dominated major cities like Jaipur, Ajmer, Bharatpur, Kota, and Udaipur on Tuesday, a cold wave swept through northern and western districts, including Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Churu, Sikar, and Alwar. The drop in temperatures, coupled with chilly winds, left people bracing for cold conditions even during the day.

On Wednesday morning, light showers graced Kota around 10 am, lasting for about 10 minutes, while Bhilwara experienced drizzles around 11:15 am. In Chittorgarh’s Kapasan, foggy conditions prevailed in the morning before giving way to a brief but intense spell of rain at around 10:15 am, followed by continuous drizzling until noon.

Temperature Analysis and Foggy Conditions

The minimum temperature across all cities, barring Alwar, remained below 10 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night. Mount Abu recorded the lowest temperature at 0.8 degrees Celsius, while Alwar reported a relatively higher minimum of 10.4 degrees Celsius.

In Jaipur, clear skies and bright sunshine on Makar Sankranti provided residents with a brief respite from the biting cold. The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city were recorded at 21.2 and 7.4 degrees Celsius, respectively. Dausa district registered the highest maximum temperature in the state at 23.9 degrees Celsius, followed by Barmer at 23.4 degrees and Chittorgarh at 22.8 degrees Celsius.

Dense fog enveloped Alwar city, reducing visibility to a point where vehicles had to use parking lights during the day. On the Jaipur-Kota four-lane highway near Tonk, heavy fog forced drivers to switch on headlights throughout the morning.

No Immediate Relief from Cold

Meteorological experts predict that there will be no significant relief from the cold for at least the next two weeks. Minimum temperatures are expected to remain near or slightly below normal levels. Additionally, another western disturbance is likely to affect the state around January 22-23, further delaying any rise in temperatures.