Delhi freezes: Coldest day shattered as dense fog doubles winter blow
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Severe cold has disrupted normal life in large parts of the country, including North India. The plains are shivering due to icy winds coming from the mountains. The national capital Delhi recorded the coldest morning of this season on Saturday, where the temperature dropped to 4.2 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the temperature in many parts of Kashmir Valley and Ladakh has dropped below the freezing point (zero degree). The Meteorological Department has issued a serious warning about fog and cold wave for the coming days.
Double torture of fog and cold wave
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), people in North India and Bihar will have to face dense fog for the next seven days. Meanwhile, dense fog will prevail in the mornings for the next three days in Madhya Pradesh, Northeast India, West Bengal, and Sikkim. The Meteorological Department has predicted a 'severe cold wave' in some parts of Rajasthan, especially on January 12 and 13. Apart from this, a cold wave is likely to prevail in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi from January 11 to 14. Cold wave conditions will prevail in Odisha on January 11-12, and in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and North Karnataka on January 11. Cold day conditions will prevail in Bihar from January 10 to 14.
Delhi records coldest morning since 2024
Saturday morning was a shivering one for the people of Delhi. The minimum temperature was recorded at 4.2 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung Observatory, which is the lowest temperature so far this winter season. Earlier, on January 15, 2024, the temperature had dropped to 3.3 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, the temperature was recorded at 4.5 degrees in Palam, 4.7 degrees in Lodhi Road, 5.3 degrees in Ridge and 4.5 degrees in Ayanagar. Along with the cold, pollution also continues to wreak havoc in Delhi. The Air Quality Index (AQI) on Saturday morning was recorded at 366, which falls in the 'very poor' category. The humidity during the morning was 100 percent, which made the feeling of cold even more.
Mercury below zero, no relief expected yet
If we look at the data of the last 24 hours, the temperature remained below zero in many places in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. In Himachal, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, the mercury fluctuated between 0 to 5 degrees. Whereas in UP, Rajasthan, MP and Bihar, the temperature was recorded between 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Department says that there will be no significant change in the temperature in North-West India and Madhya Pradesh for the next seven days, which means there is little hope of getting relief from the cold. However, in Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and some parts of Eastern India, there may be a slight increase of 2 to 3 degrees in the temperature in the next few days.