Delhi logs coldest February day in 4 years

Delhi logged its coldest February day in four years on Monday, as dense fog engulfed parts of the Capital during the early hours, further intensifying the chill and bringing down visibility. The low visibility also prompted a warning from Delhi IGI Airport about flight delays.

The current spell of dense fog is reportedly due to a powerful Western Disturbance brought a combination of dense fog, unseasonal rain, and piercing winds to the region. Major transit hubs, including the Indira Gandhi International Airport and several railway stations, reported delays as shallow to moderate fog persisted well past sunrise. The February forecast follows an unusually dry winter, especially regarding snowfall over the Western Himalayas.

Light rain in several parts of NCR and calm winds overnight triggered dense fog across Delhi on Monday, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to first issue a red alert in the wee hours.

This was later scaled down, and a yellow alert now remains in place for Monday.

According to IMD, the fog formation to stable atmospheric conditions created after the overnight rain spill. High moisture levels coupled with very weak winds allowed cool air to be trapped near the ground, resulting in condensation to fog.  IMD forecasts suggest that moderate fog will continue till February 8, with no fresh weather warnings issued beyond Tuesday. Day temperatures are expected to rise gradually, touching 23 degrees C by the end of the week, while nights may remain cold.

The city’s base weather station at Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 17.5 degrees Celsius, 4.8 notches below normal and the lowest for February since February 3, 2022, when the maximum had dipped to 14.4 degrees Celsius.

Partly cloudy conditions prevailed over the city throughout the day, coupled with dense morning fog, reducing visibility to 100 metres at Safdarjung and Palam during the early hours.