'-4°C’ - Another wave of severe cold in North India? What expert said
Dahiya, however, said fog could play a role in this prediction model, adding that maximum temperatures too could drop to single digits if such weather conditions continue.
North India must brace for another cold wave beginning Saturday with temperatures in the plains set to dip as low as -4 degrees Celsius, a weather expert predicted Thursday, warning of a 'extreme' spell of cold weather which will peak between January 16 and 18. Navdeep Dahiya, the founder of an online weather platform called Live Weather of India, tweeted: "... never seen temperature ensemble going this low in a prediction model so far in my career'.
"Don't know how to put this up but upcoming spell of cold wave in India look really extreme during January 14-19 with peak on 16-18th... Freezing -4°c to +2°c in plains, Wow!"
Dahiya, however, said fog could play a role in this prediction model, adding that maximum temperatures too could drop to single digits if such weather conditions continue.
"Still have three days, with minor +/- this is going to happen. Fog will play crucial role in moderating night temperatures... but if (it) lasts long single-digit maximum temperatures will be there. Very interesting days ahead..." he said.
"January 2023 can be historically coldest - maybe for 21st century so far?"
READ | Number Theory: Why Jan 2023 feels colder than last year
Parts of north and northwestern India have already been blanketed by bone-chilling cold and dense fog this winter, with a minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees recorded at Delhi's Safdarjung weather station earlier this week. There was, however, some respite for the national capital today, with Safdarjung recording an overnight minimum of 9.3 degrees.
Reports indicate these temperatures are two degrees above the season's average.
Similarly cold conditions have been reported from across parts of southern India too, with weather officials issuing warnings for Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
In the north these cold and foggy conditions have also hampered rail and air traffic, with dozens of trains delayed or cancelled daily and several flights also affected.
The good news - dense fog that blanketed parts of northern India over the past few days have improved over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh.
READ | Dense fog recedes over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, says IMD
The bad news - it is expected to prevail over Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Dahiya's warning tallies with a bulletin from the India Meteorological Department cited by a report from news agency PTI, which said cold wave conditions are very likely to persist (again) in isolated pockets over Delhi and its neighbouring states from January 15.
Soma Sen Roy, a scientist with the IMD, told news agency ANI: "Currently, temperatures have increased due to a western disturbance in northwest India. It is likely cold wave conditions will emerge again over northwest India from Jan 15-16."
