The India Meteorological Department (IMD)on Thursday predicted moderate to dense fog may affect visibility during the 75th Republic Day celebrations in the capital on Friday. The IMD said people would be able to see up to only 400 metres until 8.30 am on Friday due to foggy weather. The visibility levels may thereafter improve to 1,500 metres by 10.30 am. The minimum temperature is likely to settle in the range of 5 to 7 degrees Celsius, the Met office said.
The national capital region saw “cold day” conditions on Thursday, there was a sharp dip in minimum temperature across the city, with it recorded at 4.8°C — three degrees below normal. The minimum temperature in Lodhi Road was settled at 4.4 degree Celsius. Dense fog engulfed the national Capital for over six hours on Thursday morning, which saw delays of over 100 flights and 24 trains.
The maximum temperature was noted at 20.5 degrees Celsius, one notch below the normal, according to the bulletin. The national capital is experiencing cold day conditions and dense fog in the morning and night, the IMD said. Despite this, Delhi’s air quality showed a marginal improvement, returning to the ‘very poor’ category after touching ‘severe’ a day earlier. As per the Central Pollution Control Board’s data, the 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Thursday settled at 332 in the ‘very poor’ category.
The absence of active western disturbances (WD) ?weather systems that originate in the Mediterranean region and bring unseasonal rainfall to northwest India is one of the primary reasons behind the blinding layer of fog persisting over the plains in the region since December 25, the IMD said.
Generally, five to seven WDs impact the region during these months. The region has not seen any strong WD this winter so far, it said. According to IMD, fog formation requires three conditions: weak low-level winds, moisture, and overnight cooling. Strong WDs, characterised by strong winds and precipitation, disrupt these conditions.
Delhi has experienced five cold days and five cold wave days in January so far, the highest in the past 13 years. IMD said visibility was down to 50 metres at Palam at 1:30am and remained the same till 8am, when it improved marginally to 100 metres. A yellow alert has been issued for Friday, forecasting moderate to dense fog across the city.
The IMD said that due to fog the visibility at Delhi-Palam was reduced to 25 metres and 50 m at Safdarjung at 5:30 am and remained the same till 8am, when it improved marginally to 100 metres. A yellow alert has been issued for Friday, forecasting moderate to dense fog across the city.
The IMD forecasted that very dense fog conditions are likely to continue to prevail over North India during next 4 days. The weather agency said that light rainfall or snowfall is likely over Western Himalayan Region from 25 to 30 January. The IMD also warned of severe cold day conditions prevailing over North India during next 2 days and decrease in intensity thereafter.