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Day after cold wave, Delhi wakes up to fog; mercury may rest at 5°C
The IMD has also forecast that a fresh Western Disturbance is expected to pass over Delhi-NCR, causing thunderstorm and light rain over the region on February 4 and 5
Delhi woke up to a foggy morning on Monday with the minimum temperature likely to reach 5 degree Celsius (°C) a day after the cold wave. On Sunday, the minimum temperature had dropped to 3.1°C which is 5°C below normal. It was the fourth cold wave day in Delhi in a week.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also forecast that a fresh Western Disturbance is expected to pass over Delhi-NCR, causing thunderstorm and light rain over the region on February 4 and 5.
Delhi also recorded seven cold wave days in January this year, which is the maximum for the month since 2008, as per IMD recordings. Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said 12 cold wave days were recorded in January 2008. The IMD declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature is recorded below 10°C and the deviation from normal is of four degrees or above.
Also read | Widespread rain, thunderstorms likely over NW India this week
“Only one cold wave day each was recorded in 2019 and 2020,” Srivastava said, adding that the Capital had recorded six cold wave days in January 2013.
He said the increase in the number of cold wave days this month was caused because only one Western Disturbance affected the plains of northwest India this year, leading to more cloudless nights and low temperatures. The northwesterly winds from the snow-clad regions in the Himalayas blowing into Delhi also kept the temperatures low, he said. “Clouds trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation, warming the ground. The minimum temperature falls in the absence of a cloud cover,” he said.
Meanwhile, air quality index (AQI) dropped to very poor category on Monday morning. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recordings showed that the average hourly AQI was 316 at 7am. On Saturday the AQI was slightly better at 309, but still in the very poor zone.
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