On Thursday, Delhi was hit by a brutal cold wave, with the minimum temperature falling to three degrees Celsius, lowest it has been in January in two years. The majority of people stayed inside, using space heaters and hot tea to stay warm as chilly winds from the snow-covered Himalayas swept into the plains, including the nation’s capital.
For much of north India, including Delhi, there was a blinding layer of dense fog, which was extremely inconvenient for commuters. Around 5.30 am, there were 50 metres of visibility. According to the weather office, ‘very dense’ fog is when visibility is between 0 and 50 metres, 51 and 200 metres is ‘dense’, 201 and 500 metres ‘moderate’, and 501 and 1,000 metres ‘shallow’. At least 12 trains were delayed by one-and-a-half to six hours and two rescheduled due to the foggy weather, a Railways spokesperson said. Delhi Airport also issued a fog alert, stating that limited visibility procedures were being carried out. All flight operations are presently normal. Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information, the advisory read.
Video Courtesy: One India News
The primary weather station in Delhi, the Safdarjung observatory, recorded a minimum temperature of three degrees Celsius on Thursday, down from 4.4 degrees on Wednesday and 8.5 degrees on Tuesday. Dalhousie (4.9 degrees Celsius), Dharamshala (5.2 degrees), Kangra (3.2 degrees), Shimla (3.7 degrees), Dehradun (4.6 degrees), Mussoorie (4.4 degrees), and Nainital all saw lower minimum temperatures than Delhi did (6.2 degrees). Minimum temperatures in Delhi were measured at 2.8 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees, and 2.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, at the meteorological stations in Lodhi Road, Ayanagar, and Ridge. Power grids are anticipated to be strained by the cold weather, and the homeless will have difficulties.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee had Wednesday advised residents’ welfare associations, institutions, and other establishments to provide electric heaters, blankets, and warm clothes to security guards in order to prevent open burning of biomass that causes pollution. This advice came as people gathered around bonfires throughout the city. On Wednesday, the Met office had issued an orange signal for Thursday and Friday for Delhi-NCR.
There are four colour designations used by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for weather warnings: green (no action required), yellow (watch and remain updated), orange (be prepared), and red (take action). According to forecasts, a cold wave and frigid days will last for the next 24 hours, while there will be some relief due to a new Western Disturbance that is expected to impact northwest India starting on January 7. When the minimum temperature in the plains drops to four degrees Celsius or is 10 degrees or below and 4.5 notches below normal, the Met office declares a cold wave.
A severe cold wave is when the minimum temperature dips to two degrees Celsius or the departure from the normal is more than 6.4 degrees. A cold day is when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius below the normal and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees below the normal. A severe cold day is when the maximum is 6.5 degrees Celsius or more below the normal.
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