Delhi residents woke up to another bitterly cold Friday, with the mercury plunging to a chilling 5.8 degrees Celsius, continuing a severe cold spell that has gripped the national capital for days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued critical warnings for both dense fog and potential rainfall, compounding the winter woes for the city.
IMD's Nowcast Warns of Rain, Yellow Alert for Dense Fog
In an early morning nowcast warning issued at 5:30 AM, the IMD predicted the possibility of light rainfall over Delhi-NCR and its surrounding areas. Specific regions likely to be affected include Jafarpur, Nazafgarh, Dwarka, Palam, IGI Airport, Ayanagar, Deramandi, Bahadurgarh, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ballabhgarh. Alongside this, the weather department has sounded a yellow alert for dense fog during the morning hours, advising commuters to exercise caution.
The IMD has forecast that the maximum temperature will remain significantly below normal, by 1.6 to 3 degrees Celsius. "The maximum and minimum temperatures in Delhi are likely to be in the ranges of 16°C to 18°C and 5°C to 7°C, respectively," the department stated. This follows Thursday's reading of 5.8 degrees Celsius, which was the third lowest temperature recorded this winter.
Palam Emerges as Coldest Spot, Widespread Chill Across City
The cold day conditions were severe and widespread. Maximum temperatures remained lower than normal across all monitoring stations. Palam emerged as the coldest station, registering a minimum temperature of just 4.8 degrees Celsius. Both Ridge and Ayanagar reported lows of 5.8 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Delhi's primary weather station, the Safdarjung observatory, recorded a minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees, which is 1.1 notches below the normal for this time of year.
Air Quality Plummets to 'Very Poor' Levels
Adding to the discomfort, the air quality in the national capital has taken a sharp turn for the worse. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's air entered the 'very poor' category on January 9. On Friday morning, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 318, showing a marked deterioration from Thursday's reading of 289.
At 6:00 AM, a concerning 24 out of 40 monitoring stations in Delhi reported air quality in the 'very poor' range. The remaining stations registered 'poor' air quality, indicating a widespread pollution blanket over the city alongside the intense cold. This combination of frigid temperatures and toxic air poses a significant health risk, especially for vulnerable groups.
