Pankaj Jain, New Delhi, Jan 11(.) Sunday marked one of the coldest January mornings in recent years as New Delhi’s Palam area recorded a minimum temperature of 3.0 degrees Celsius. According to available records, this is the second-lowest minimum temperature observed at Palam since 2010. The only colder January day during this period was on January 7, 2013, when the mercury had dipped to 2.6 degrees Celsius.
India Meteorological Department(IMD) data shows that the all-time lowest minimum temperature at Palam was recorded on January 11, 1967, when the temperature had plunged to minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.
Cold wave conditions were recorded across parts of the national capital on Sunday, with several observatories reporting sharply low minimum temperatures, officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
According to the IMD, stations at Palam, Ridge and Ayanagar registered minimum temperatures below 4.1 degrees Celsius, meeting the criteria for cold wave conditions in the city.
The weather office said the cold spell is likely to persist for a few days as well, prompting the issuance of a yellow alert for Delhi. Residents have been advised to take precautions against prolonged exposure to cold, particularly during the early morning and night hours.
The IMD will continue to monitor the situation and issue updates as conditions evolve.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said dense to very dense fog is very likely to persist during morning hours over northwest India and Bihar for the next five to seven days. The weather office added that isolated pockets of Madhya Pradesh, northeast India, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim may also experience foggy conditions in the coming days.
IMD officials warned that cold day conditions are likely to prevail in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim over the next few days. Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are expected in isolated areas of Rajasthan between January 12 and 13. Cold wave conditions may also affect parts of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Jharkhand, and north interior Karnataka on different dates.
IMD said there is unlikely to be any major change in minimum temperatures over northwest India and Madhya Pradesh during the next week. However, a gradual rise of around 2 to 3 degrees Celsius is expected in parts of east, central, and northeast India over the next few days, offering some relief from the prevailing cold conditions.
Dense fog conditions are expected to continue across large parts of northern and eastern India, raising the risk of flight delays, diversions and cancellations.
Air India issued a travel advisory warning that poor visibility due to fog is likely in several cities, including Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Udaipur, Varanasi and Jammu. The airline said flight schedules across its network could be affected. It added that proactive steps have been taken to reduce fog-related disruptions and that ground staff will remain available round the clock to assist passengers. Travellers have been advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
IndiGo also cautioned passengers about early-morning fog affecting visibility at airports such as Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Jammu, Jaipur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna, Udaipur, Varanasi and Hindon. The airline said sudden drops in visibility could impact flight operations. IndiGo said its teams are closely monitoring weather conditions and urged passengers to check flight updates in advance. Affected travellers may choose alternate options or seek refunds, the airline said.
. PKJ KK