Cold wave conditions, along with dense fog, continued to grip the north Indian states on Tuesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting similar conditions over the region until January 27.
On Tuesday, the national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 6.9 degrees Celsius, slightly below the seasonal average, according to the IMD.
Visibility at observatories like Safdarjung, Palam, and Ayanagar was significantly reduced, with foggy conditions persisting. The weather department predicts moderate fog until January 26 in the National Capital, with foggy conditions expected on January 27 and 28.
Delhi witnessed five cold days and five coldwave days in January so far, marking the highest in the past 13 years, as reported by PTI, citing data from the IMD.
A cold wave is officially declared when the minimum temperature (falling below 10°C over plains) is 4.5 to 6.4°C below normal or the actual minimum temperature is less than 4°C. If the minimum temperature is over 6.5°C below normal or less than 2 degrees C, it is classified as a severe cold wave.
Trains and flights delayed due to dense fog
Due to dense fog and adverse weather conditions, flight and passenger train operations to and from the national capital were still disrupted on Tuesday.
Delays were experienced at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport as a layer of fog enveloped the city.
“Over 150 flights at Delhi’s IGI airport were delayed on Tuesday. However, only seven of them had to be cancelled,” an official told HT.
According to Northern Railways, 28 trains, including the Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Rajendranagar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Bangalore-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express, Azamgarh-Delhi JN Kaifiyat Express, Banaras-New Delhi Express, and Katihar-Amritsar Amrapali Express, encountered delays ranging from two to five hours.
Cold day alert in other parts of north India
On Tuesday, Rajasthan experienced a severe cold wave, accompanied by dense fog covering various parts of the state, particularly impacting Alwar, where the temperature dropped to a minimum of 2.5 degrees Celsius. IMD anticipates that cold day to severe cold day conditions will persist in isolated areas of West Rajasthan on Wednesday.
According to the weather department, dense to very dense fog is expected to prevail for several hours during the night and morning over many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Uttar Pradesh from Tuesday night until the morning of January 27.
Further forecasts indicate dense to very dense fog in isolated pockets of Bihar until Thursday morning, with dense fog continuing in isolated areas for the following three days.
In Uttarakhand, cold day to severe cold day conditions are likely to persist in isolated pockets, along with cold day conditions in specific areas on Wednesday.
Earlier on Monday, the IMD reported shallow fog affecting the Jammu division, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand, causing visibility challenges. Various locations faced reduced visibility, with Jammu Division at 500 metres, Patiala in Punjab at 50 meters, Delhi at 500 metres impacting flight operations, and Varanasi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh struggling with 25-metre and 50-metre visibility, respectively.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
