Delhi continues to grapple with harsh weather conditions as a cold wave prevails in the national capital on Friday. Despite sunshine, Delhi shivers as the minimum temperature drops three notches below the season’s average, reaching 3.9 degrees Celsius, the lowest this season so far. This marks the lowest minimum temperature recorded in the past five years. The average maximum temperature was 19.3 degrees Celsius, one notch below the season’s normal.
According to IMD data, Jafarpur recorded 3.2 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 3.6 degrees Celsius, and Palam 4.9 degrees Celsius.
With Delhi reeling under intense cold, the peak power demand of the city surged to an all-time high of 5,701 MW on Friday morning. According to the State Load Dispatch Centre’s real-time data, the peak power demand in Delhi at 10:49 am on Friday was 5,701 MW.
The power distribution companies (discoms) have estimated the winter peak power demand to reach up to 5,760 MW this year. The previous highest peak winter demand was 5,611 MW on Wednesday morning. Discom officials stated that since January 1, Delhi’s peak power demand has risen by over 11 percent.
A BSES spokesperson mentioned that the company’s discoms, BRPL and BYPL, successfully met the peak power demand of 2,484 MW and 1,185 MW, respectively. Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) also successfully met the all-time highest winter peak power demand, reaching 1,774 MW in its area — North Delhi —without any network constraint or power outage, as stated by a spokesperson of the discom.
IMD data showed that the maximum temperatures in Palam, Lodhi Road, Ridge, Ayanagar, Jafarpur, Mungeshpur, Narela, Pitampura, Pusa, and SPS Mayur Vihar were recorded as 16.1 degrees Celsius (four notches above normal), 18.8 degrees Celsius (one notch above normal), 18.6 degrees Celsius (one notch above normal), 15.2 degrees Celsius (five notches above normal), 14.4 degrees Celsius (five notches below normal), 16.6 degrees Celsius (three notches above normal), 18.8 degrees Celsius (one notch above normal), 17.5 degrees Celsius (two notches above normal), and 17.7 degrees Celsius (two notches above normal), respectively.
An IMD official stated that sunlight helped lift daytime temperatures slightly, but the clear sky contributed to a drop in nighttime temperatures, causing discomfort in the national capital region for the past two days. They added, “The minimum temperature was likely to rise again from Saturday as a fresh western disturbance approaches the northern plains, bringing cloudiness.”
Many parts of the national capital region were covered in very dense surface fog, reducing visibility to zero at the airport for over four hours from 4:30 am. Road, rail, and air traffic were affected due to the dense fog. Satellite imagery revealed a layer of fog/low-level clouds over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, extending up to northeast India. Patches of fog were also visible over Odisha.
The Delhi-NCR experienced some relief on Thursday as the sun shone through the thinned layer of fog, but chilly winds kept temperatures down. The IMD explained, “With skies becoming clear after nearly two weeks of dense upper-level fog, the same formed closer to the surface, making days colder. The same fog prevents substantial heat loss at night, not allowing the minimum to dip sharply.”
In previous years, the minimum temperature during the corresponding period until January 11 has dropped as low as 1.1 degrees Celsius, with several seasonal lows coincidentally recorded on January 1.
The minimum was 1.9 degrees Celsius in 2023 (January 8), 4.2 degrees Celsius in 2022 (January 1), 1.1 degrees Celsius in 2021 (January 1), 2.4 degrees Celsius in 2020 (January 1), and 4 degrees Celsius in 2019 (January 1). On January 1 this year, the minimum temperature in Delhi was 10.1 degrees Celsius.
The IMD reported that visibility levels dropped to zero at Delhi’s Palam observatory near the Indira Gandhi International Airport. At the Safdarjung Airport, one could see up to a distance of 200 meters, according to an IMD official. Due to zero visibility, over 50 flights were delayed. However, Delhi airport authorities issued an advisory urging passengers to contact their respective airlines for flight information before heading to the airport. “Low Visibility Procedures are in progress at Delhi Airport. All flight operations are presently normal. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information,” authorities said. According to the railways, 23 Delhi-bound trains were delayed by one to 10 hours due to weather-related conditions in Delhi and different states.
A “cold day” is defined when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius, and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 notches below normal. A “severe cold day” occurs when the maximum temperature is at least 6.5 notches below normal.