New Delhi: For the second consecutive day, Delhi witnessed the coldest night of the winter, with the minimum temperature dropping to 3 degrees Celsius in Aya Nagar, the last village on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road. The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert due to the prevailing cold and dense fog conditions across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). Last night, the minimum temperature in Delhi was recorded at 3.9 degrees Celsius, maintaining the grip of the cold wave over the Delhi-NCR region. Various locations within the city reported minimum temperatures, with Lodi Road at 3.4 degrees, Safdarjung at 3.6 degrees, Ridge at 3.9 degrees, and Palam at 5.8 degrees, according to the IMD.
Weather-related conditions have caused delays of 1-6 hours for eighteen Delhi-bound trains and disruptions in flight operations at the Delhi airport due to low visibility amid dense fog, as reported by news agency ANI.
The India Meteorological Department reported that at 5:30 am, the visibility at Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi‘s primary weather station, was recorded at 200 metres. Visuals captured during the morning depicted a dense layer of fog enveloping various parts of the national capital.
#WATCH | Delhi: Coldwave and dense fog engulfs the National Capital
— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2024
(Visuals shot at 7.10 am) pic.twitter.com/rO4S4A0bc3
As of 9 am, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) registered at 365, as per the data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The AQI scale categorizes air quality as follows: between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. The current AQI reading indicates a level categorized as ‘very poor’, reflecting the concerning air quality conditions in the city.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh due to prevailing cold conditions. Additionally, a yellow alert has been issued for Rajasthan, taking into account the cold and foggy weather conditions in the region.
The weather department has extended a yellow alert for the next three days in the national capital, signaling that cold wave conditions are expected to persist. The maximum temperature for today is anticipated to be around 19 degrees Celsius, as indicated by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported dense to very dense fog in isolated areas of Punjab and East Uttar Pradesh. Dense fog was observed in isolated pockets over Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Gangetic West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. Moderate fog conditions were recorded in isolated pockets over Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh, according to the IMD.