A day after bright sunshine, Delhiites once again woke up to a foggy morning and extreme cold on Sunday, causing delays in flights, trains, and other modes of transportation.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 6 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season’s average, while the maximum temperature settled at 18.6 degrees Celsius, normal for the season’s average. Mayur Vihar was the coldest area in Delhi, recording the maximum temperature at 14.6 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the city.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast dense fog for the next five days, coupled with cold conditions for the next two days in North India. According to the IMD, from January 31 to February 1, there will be a generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle. From January 28 to 30, the city may witness moderate fog conditions. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 324 at 9 am, settling at 384 in the “very poor” category at 6 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The IMD weather forecast predicts that the Western Himalayan Region will be impacted by a new Western Disturbance starting on January 28. From January 31, the Western Himalayan region and the adjacent plains of Northwest India are expected to be affected by another disturbance in the west.
“Light/moderate isolated to scattered rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Uttarakhand and light rainfall over Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh from January 31 to February 2,” the Met office said in a statement.
Over the next two days, these weather systems are predicted to bring light, isolated rainfall or snowfall to parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, and Himachal Pradesh. From January 29 to February 1, there will be moderate, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall or snowfall.
The IMD also issues a warning, saying on January 28, dense to extremely dense fog conditions are likely to be present over a large portion of East Uttar Pradesh as well as over certain areas of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, West Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar for a few hours during the night and morning. Over the next three days, the area is expected to see isolated pockets of dense fog.”
At the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, several flights were delayed due to foggy conditions on Sunday. Similarly, trains experienced delays at the New Delhi, Old Delhi, and Nizamuddin railway stations owing to the thick blanket of fog enveloping the NCR region.
The maximum temperature was recorded in Palam at 18.8 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road at 17 degrees Celsius, Ridge at 16.9 degrees Celsius, Ayanagar at 19.2 degrees Celsius, Jafarpur at 19.2 degrees Celsius, Mungeshpur at 18 degrees Celsius, Narela at 15.9 degrees Celsius, Pusa at 18.1 degrees Celsius, and Pitampura at 18.8 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, the minimum temperature recorded was 4.3 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal.
With five cold days and five cold wave days so far, Delhi has experienced its coldest January in 13 years. While the cold was almost crippling in its intensity, temperature projections for the city indicate an incremental improvement in the coming days. Delhiites can expect a 2-3 degrees Celsius rise in nighttime temperatures over the next 4-5 days.