Delhi’s weather today: On Wednesday (January 4), officials said that Delhi experienced its season’s coldest minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius despite a thick layer of fog that reduced visibility to 200 metres and slowed down both rail and road traffic.
According to a Railways spokeswoman, at least 19 trains to Delhi were delayed by one and a half to four and a half hours as a result of the gloomy conditions. The Indo – Gangetic plains and surrounding central and eastern regions of the country were covered in a heavy layer of fog, according to satellite pictures released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
“Over the Indo – Gangetic plains, a thick fog cover remains persistent. It is likely to last for the following two to three days before progressively fading after that “IMD staff member remarked.
At 5.30 am, the Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Palam observatory recorded a visibility level of 200 metres.
The weather office classifies fog as “extremely dense” when visibility is around 0 and 50 metres, “dense” between 51 – 200 metres, “moderate” between 201 – 500 metres, and “shallow” between 501 – 1,000 metres. The main meteorological station in Delhi, Safdarjung observatory, recorded minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius, which is three degrees below average.
The capital is expected to see another coldwave on Thursday, and the temperature could dip as low as 4 degrees. On Tuesday, Delhi saw “cold day” conditions, with the maximum temperature falling five degrees below average in various locations throughout the capital, including Lodhi Road, Palam, Jafarpur, and Mayur Vihar.
When the minimum temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius or less below normal and maximum temperature is atleast 4.5 degrees Celsius below normal, the day is considered cold. When the high temperature is 6.5 degrees Celsius or lower than average, the weather is considered severe. The next four to five days will see cold days and dense to very dense fog over northwest India, according to the IMD.
Over northwest India, a coldwave is predicted to persist for the next two days before waning, according to the report. When the minimum temperature in the plains drops to four degrees Celsius or is 10 degrees Celsius or below and 4.5 notches below normal, the Met office declares a cold wave.
When the minimum temperature falls below two degrees Celsius or the deviation from the mean exceeds 6.4 degrees Celsius, a severe cold wave is occurring.
Delhi’s AQI falls under “extremely poor”:
Wednesday’s Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi was 353, placing it in the “extremely bad” category – according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). Gurugram, in the National Capital Region, had an AQI of 371 according to System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), and Noida had the same reading.
IIT Delhi had a 353 AQI, whereas the area around Delhi University had a 363 AQI. The air quality was measured at 373 in the Airport (T3) area. When the Air Quality Index is between 0 – 100, it is good; when it is between 100 – 200, it is moderate; when it is between 200 – 300, it is bad; when it is between 300 – 400, it is very poor; and when it is between 400 – 500 or above, it is severe.
The Graded Response Action Plan Sub – Committee (GRAP) decided on January 2 that the ongoing actions carried out under Stage III of GRAP shall continue for the time being in light of Delhi’s air quality continuing to fall under the “Very Poor” category, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change announced in a release on Monday. All construction operations are prohibited under Stage III of the GRAP, with the exception of those that are of national importance.
According to Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Delhi’s total AQI was trending upward because of the city’s poor weather and meteorological conditions and low wind speeds.
After carefully examining the air quality scenario and pertinent factors, the Sub – Committee for Invoking Steps Under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) agreed that ongoing actions implemented under Stage III of the GRAP shall continue for time being, the Ministry continued.
