A dense fog alert has been issued for 17 states in India, accompanied by a rain warning, as large parts of the country grapple with severe cold and cold wave conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for very dense fog in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, while a yellow alert has been sounded for dense fog across 17 states. Foggy conditions are also expected in Assam and Meghalaya, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Sikkim. Cold wave conditions are likely to prevail in Chhattisgarh from January 6 to 8 and in Jharkhand from January 6 to 7. Sub-Himalayan areas of West Bengal may witness freezing conditions on January 7.