Cold wave continues for fifth consecutive day
Delhi stayed locked in a cold wave for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday, though temperatures showed a slight improvement from the previous day, but the winter chill factor continued to dominate.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, which was 0.1 notch above normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 3.8 degrees Celsius, 3.6 notches below the seasonal average.
The IMD has issued a “yellow” alert for cold-wave conditions for Thursday, with temperatures expected to range between 5 degrees Celsius and 22 degrees Celsius.
The weather department said the city has been experiencing one of its coldest spells in recent years, with minimum temperatures hovering near 3 degrees Celsius since the beginning of the week. Delhi had last recorded a lower January minimum temperature of 1.4 degrees Celsius on January 16, 2023.
Station-wise data recorded at 5:30 pm showed that the Safdarjung Observatory, the city’s principal weather station, recorded a maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. Lodhi Road recorded 19.3 degrees Celsius, Ayanagar 19.2 degrees Celsius and Ridge 18.2 degrees Celsius, while Palam reported a significantly lower maximum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius.
Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees Celsius, 3.6 notches below normal. Palam logged a minimum of 4.4 degrees Celsius, 2.9 notches below normal, while Lodhi Road recorded 3.6 degrees Celsius, 2.4 notches below the seasonal average.
Ridge reported a minimum temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius, 3.5 notches below normal, and Ayanagar recorded a low of 4 degrees Celsius, 3.1 notches below normal, the IMD data showed.
Visibility levels dropped sharply in the morning. Safdarjung reported the lowest visibility of 200 metres at 8 am, which improved to 300 metres by 8:30 am. Palam recorded a minimum visibility of 200 metres at 9:30 am, improving to 300 metres by 10 am, the IMD said.
According to the weather department, Tuesday recorded the coldest January morning in three years. On Tuesday, Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 21.6 degrees Celsius, 1.7 notches above normal, while the minimum temperature had plunged to 3 degrees Celsius, 4.4 notches below normal.
