Delhi weather updates: Delhi recorded a continuous severe cold wave like situation on Friday (January 6), with the minimum temperature at Ayanagar in southwest Delhi plunging to a numbing 1.8 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.
A dense layer of fog persisted over northwest India, and adjoining central and eastern parts of the country, hitting road and rail traffic movement. At least 26 trains were delayed by one to 10 hours due to the foggy weather, a Railways spokesperson said.
The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, logged a minimum temperature of three degrees Celsius on Thursday, 4.4 degrees on Wednesday and 8.5 degrees on Tuesday.
The weather stations at Lodhi Road, Ayanagar and Ridge in Delhi recorded minimum temperatures of 3.8 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees and 3.3 degrees, respectively.
Weather warning -KNOW ABOUT COLOUR CODES:
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) uses four colour codes for weather warnings:
- Green (no action needed)
- Yellow (watch and stay updated)
- Orange (be prepared)
- Red (take action)
Cold wave and cold day conditions are predicted to continue for the next 24 hours though there will be some improvement under the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance, which is likely to affect northwest India starting January 7, a senior IMD official said. In the plains, the meteorological office declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature dips to four degrees Celsius or when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches below the normal.
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 Celsius. 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 Celsius below the normal. A severe cold day is when the maximum is 6.5 degrees Celsius or more below the normal.
Minimum record breaking temperture:
Earlier, Delhi's minimum temperature plunged to a season's lowest of 3 degrees Celsius on January 5 which badly affected the movement of road and rail traffic. A brutal cold wave swept Delhi on Thursday with the minimum temperature dropping to three degrees Celsius- the lowest in January in two years- making it cooler than several hill stations. A blinding layer of dense fog over north India, including Delhi, caused major inconvenience to commuters.Visibility levels were 50 metres around 5.30 am.
The Delhi airport also issued a fog alert, and implemented low visibility procedures. "Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information," an advisory read. The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, logged a minimum temperature of three degrees Celsius against 4.4 degrees on Wednesday and 8.5 degrees on Tuesday.
Delhi's minimum temperature was lower than 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 (6.2 degrees).
The weather stations at Lodhi Road, Ayanagar and Ridge in Delhi recorded minimum temperatures of 2.8 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees and 2.8 degrees, respectively.
Parts of the capital, including Lodhi Road, Palam and Ayanagar, also recorded a cold day, with the maximum temperature at these places settling five to seven notches below normal. The cold snap is expected to strain power grids and pose challenges to homeless people and animals.
As people gathered around bonfires across the city, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee on Wednesday had advised residents' welfare associations, institutions and other establishments to provide electric heaters, blankets and warm clothes to security guards to prevent open burning of biomass that leads to pollution.
