E-Paper
Delhi shivers at 4.4°C, wakes up to near-zero visibility, ‘very poor’ air
Chill persisted in Delhi and visibility remained near zero as the Air Quality Index (AQI) continued to stay in the ‘very poor’ category, with a reading of 368.
Amid an intense cold wave spell, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius, just a notch higher than Friday’s reading.
Even so, the chill persisted in Delhi, and visibility remained near zero as the Air Quality Index (AQI) continued to stay in the ‘very poor’ category, with a reading of 368.
Minimum temperatures recorded at Delhi stations today:
- Safdarjung - 4.4°C
- Palam - 5.7°C
- Lodi Road - 5.2°C
- Ridge - 5.2°C
- Ayanagar - 4.9°C
Dense fog also delayed flights at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. Due to the foggy conditions, passengers were advised to check flight statuses with their respective airlines before heading to the airport.
When will the cold wave ease?
While a fog warning is in place for Delhi till January 22, some relief from an intense cold wave spell is also expected. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the the minimum temperature may go as high as 9 degrees Celsius on Monday before again coming down over the next few days.
However, the cold wave is unlikely to intensify to the levels seen earlier, when Delhi’s minimum temperature plunged to 2.9 degrees Celsius at Safdarjung, the city’s base weather station.
The reading was observed on January 15, making it Delhi's coldest night in three years. The last time Delhi had a lower minimum was on January 18, 2023, when the city recorded a minimum temperature of was 2.6 degrees Celsius.
Visibility down, air quality concerns remain
Air quality concerns have remained in Delhi since November and the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) has been hovering in the ‘poor’, ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories on most days.
Delhi woke up to dense fog again on Saturday with visibility levels plunging to near-Zero. Forecasts by the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi had earlier predicted a deterioration ahead, with “severe” air quality likely on Sunday, January 18.
