The national Capital woke up to dense fog on Saturday, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold wave for a third consecutive day while the maximum temperature settled at 15.2 degrees Celsius, four notches below the season’s average. The National Capital Region, already grappling with chilly weather, experienced a further dip in temperature making it a challenging morning for commuters, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD)on Saturday  to issue an advisory asking people to  several layers of loose fitting, lightweight and warm woollen clothing rather than one layer of heavy cloth. 

The minimum temperature settled at 8.9 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season’s average. The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration on Saturday ordered all schools in Noida and Greater Noida to observe holiday for students up to Class 8 till January 14 in view of the prevailing dense fog and cold weather conditions

In its advisory,  the IMD asked people to cover their head,  neck, hands and toes adequately as majority of heat loss occurs through these body parts.  “Do not ignore shivering. It is the first sign that the body is losing heat. Get Indoors. Avoid or limit outdoor activities. Impact on agriculture, crop, livestock, water supply, transport and power sector at some places is possible due to cold and fog. Frostbite can occur due to prolonged exposure to cold. The skin turns pale, hard and numb and eventually black blisters appear on exposed body parts such as fingers, toes, nose and or earlobes. Severe frostbite needs immediate medical attention and treatment,” read the advisory.

According to IMD, the maximum temperature in Palam and Ridge recorded at 14.6 degree Celsius, Lodhi Road at 15 degree Celsius, Ayanagar 15.6 degree Celsius, Jaffarpur 14 degree Celsius, Narela 14.6 degree Celsius,  Pitampura 15.4, Pusa 15.3 degree celsius, SPS Mayur Vihar 13.6 degree Celsius. Clear skies continue to elude Delhi on Saturday.  The extreme cold spell is expected to last for three more days. The met office issues orange and yellow alerts for ‘cold to severe cold day’. A little rise in temperature is likely early next week due to a western disturbance, potentially causing rain.

Meanwhile, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration on Saturday ordered all schools in Noida and Greater Noida to observe holiday for students up to Class 8 till January 14. Issued by District Basic Education Officer Rahul Panwar, the order stands applicable to all schools recognised by the state board, CBSE, ICSE, IB and others. “In compliance with the instructions given by District Magistrate Maneesh Kumar Verma in view of the dense fog and extreme cold, all the board (CBSE/ICSE IB, UP Board and others) affiliated schools (from Class nursery to 8) running in the district Gautam Buddh Nagar, will observe holiday till January 14,” it stated.”The order should be strictly followed,” Panwar added. Meanwhile, District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) Dharmveer Singh said the timings for Classes 9-12 will be 10 am to 3 pm during this period.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), dense fog continued to shroud the capital at upper levels of the atmosphere. The current season is marred by an inversion layer, uplifted fog layer and gloomy days with less sun exposure, making daytime colder. IMD has issued a yellow alert for Delhi on Sunday.

The visibility at Safdarjung, Delhi’s main weather station, and Palam was 500 metres at 5:30 am. The relative humidity stood at 100 per cent at 8:30 am. Train services were impacted due to fog with 14 Delhi-bound trains delayed, according to officials. The highest delay reported in trains arriving in Delhi is six hours. Over 30 flight disruptions and delays were reported till 8 a.m. at IGI Airport. Several flights were delayed in the North India regions due to fog and harsh weather conditions Spicejet airline also issued an advisory to passengers on flight delay caused by fog.” “Cold Day to Severe Cold Day conditions likely to continue over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Rajasthan during next 2 days and significant decrease thereafter,” IMD wrote on X.

This is increasing discomfort outdoors during working hours.  December 2019 recorded 18 cold days, while January 2022 saw seven cold days.  The IMD classifies it as a ‘cold day’ when the maximum temperature is 4.5°C or more below normal, with the minimum temperature also being below 10°C. It is a ‘severe cold day’ when the maximum temperature is 6.5°C or more below normal.

Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 315, in the ‘very poor’ category, at 9 am, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.