India, Jan. 13 -- NEW DELHI, January 13 - A severe cold wave is set to tighten its grip on north India on Tuesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing red alerts for parts of Punjab and Haryana and warning of dense, disruptive fog across the northwest. The bitter chill, which saw Delhi record its coldest night of the season at 3.2 degrees Celsius on Monday, is expected to persist and intensify, even as southern states brace for rainfall.

The IMD has issued stark warnings for northwest India, predicting severe cold wave conditions alongside dense to very dense fog on Tuesday. A red alert for cold wave and dense fog is in effect for Punjab and Haryana for January 12-13, after which a yellow alert will remain until Januar...