Delhi logs ‘cold day’ for fourth day in a row

Delhi experienced "cold day" conditions for the fourth consecutive day, with a maximum temperature of 16.2°C and a "very poor" AQI of 318 recorded.

Parts of the Capital recorded “cold day” conditions for a fourth day in a row on Thursday, with at least four weather stations clocking maximum temperatures with significant departure from the normal. Meanwhile, Delhi recorded an air quality index of 318 (“very poor”) on the day, as the Central Pollution Control Board resumed sharing data after a day’s break.

Foggy conditions at Kartavya Path on Thursday morning. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

At Safdarjung station, which is considered representative of Delhi weather, a maximum temperature of 16.2 degrees Celsius (°C) was recorded, which was up from 15°C recorded a day earlier but three degrees below normal. The minimum temperature was 7.6°C, slightly up from 7.4°C recorded a day before and one degree above normal.

The IMD classifies it as a “cold day” when the maximum temperature is 4.5°C or more below normal, with the minimum also being below 10°C. Although this criterion was not met at Safdarjung, “cold day” was recorded at the Palam, Najafgarh, Pusa and Narela weather stations.

However, cold conditions are likely to abate over the next few days, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a marginal increase in both maximum and minimum temperatures from Friday due to a fresh western disturbance.

“This is likely to bring fresh snowfall to the Himalayan mountains, along with the possibility of a drizzle in Delhi-NCR on January 6, officials said. A drop in temperatures is again likely from January 8, once cold northwesterly winds return,” IMD said.

According to forecasts, Delhi’s maximum will likely be around 17°C on Friday and 18°C on Saturday. “A marginal rise in maximum temperature by a degree is expected in most places across the region,” an IMD official said.

Mahesh Palawat, vice president at Skymet, said the gradual impact of a fresh western disturbance will slow down winds in the region starting Friday. “We will start to see an increase in moisture and winds slowing down again. The maximum and minimum will rise during this spell, during which snowfall is expected in the mountains and some rain in the plains. Cold northwesterly winds are expected from January 8, which will then lead to a dip in temperature again,” he said.

AQI back online

The CPCB did not share air quality data on Wednesday and the first half of Thursday due to server issues. When it resumed in the evening, Delhi clocked a “very poor” AQI of 318 at 4pm.

Forecasts by the Early Warning System for Delhi (EWS) said the AQI is likely to remain “very poor” till January 5 as conditions remain adverse for the dispersal of pollutants.

An official with the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the problem was fixed on Thursday evening, with both the Sameer app and its website sharing real-time data from 6pm. “The day’s bulletin was also updated and all data will be collated and shared in real-time from now on,” the official said.