Residents of Delhi experienced a chilly and foggy morning as the minimum temperature in the national capital dropped to 4.8°C on Thursday, which is three notches below the season’s average, according to the weather department.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an “orange alert” for dense fog at isolated places in Delhi on Thursday.
As cold-day to severe cold-day conditions enveloped numerous parts of Punjab, East UP, and some areas in West UP, Thursday brought exceptionally low temperatures to Haryana-Chandigarh. The northern regions experienced a notable chill, with Safdarjung in Delhi recording 4.8°C, making it a cold start to the day. Lodhi Road in the capital wasn’t far behind, registering 4.4 degrees Celsius.
The chill extended to other areas in Delhi, with Ridge at 5.2°C, Ayanagar at 5.1°C, and Palam at 5.9°C.
Similarly, Haryana and Chandigarh faced frigid conditions, with cities like Chandigarh, Ambala, Karnal, Hissar, Rohtak, and Narnaul witnessing temperatures ranging from 3.8°C to 6.0°C.
Even in Punjab, cities like Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Patiala reported temperatures as low as 5.0 to 5.5°C, adding to the prevailing cold wave in the northern region.
Furthermore, due to low visibility, twenty-four trains to New Delhi are running behind schedule. The maximum temperature in the national capital is forecasted to be around 19°C for the day.
In January, Delhi encountered an unusual frequency of cold weather, experiencing five cold days and five cold wave days, marking the highest occurrence in the past 13 years, as reported by the IMD.
The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city reached 355 at 9 am, as per data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to the AQI classification, an index between zero and 50 is considered “good,” 51 and 100 are “satisfactory,” 101 and 200 are “moderate,” 201 and 300 are “poor,” 301 and 400 are “very poor,” while 401 and 500 are classified as “severe.” Additionally, the relative humidity at 8:30 am was reported to be 97 per cent, according to the IMD bulletin.
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