Delhi shivers at 4.6°C as season’s coldest morning arrives with rain and dense fog

Delhi woke to its coldest morning of the season on Friday. The mercury dropped to 4.6 degrees Celsius. Light rain, dense fog, and icy winds combined to deepen the chill across the capital. As a result, residents faced harsh cold wave conditions at daybreak.

First, temperatures fell well below normal. The minimum stayed 2.3 degrees lower than the seasonal average. Safdarjung recorded 4.6 degrees Celsius. Palam followed at 5 degrees, which stood 1.5 degrees below normal. Lodhi Road logged 5.2 degrees. The Ridge station marked 5.4 degrees. Meanwhile, Ayanagar emerged among the coldest pockets at 4.8 degrees.

Next, early morning rain added to the discomfort. Several parts of the city reported trace precipitation. Safdarjung and Lodhi Road saw light drizzle during the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am. Ayanagar received 0.8 mm of rain. In contrast, Palam and the Ridge station reported no rainfall during the same period.

Then, weather officials issued fresh alerts. The Regional Weather Forecasting Centre said light drizzle could continue at a few locations. These include Akshardham, Lodhi Road, Nehru Stadium, RK Puram, Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Tughlakabad, IGNOU, Ayanagar, and Deramandi. Officials advised caution during early hours due to fog and slick roads.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department warned of persistent cold wave conditions. The agency expects the cold to linger over north and northwest India, including Delhi-NCR. According to forecasts, the maximum temperature may hover near 17 degrees Celsius through the day.

Notably, this cold snap follows a steady slide in temperatures. Thursday marked the third coldest morning of the season. Safdarjung recorded 5.8 degrees Celsius then, which stood 1.1 degrees below normal. Earlier, December 4 and 5 last year saw a low of 5.6 degrees. December 1 followed with 5.7 degrees.

In addition, Delhi had already recorded its first cold day of the season on January 6. On that day, the maximum temperature dropped to 15.7 degrees Celsius, which fell 3.3 degrees below normal. The minimum settled at 7.6 degrees. Cold day conditions also continued on Wednesday. The maximum touched 16.7 degrees, while the minimum stood at 8.6 degrees.

According to IMD norms, cold day conditions occur when the minimum stays below 10 degrees and the maximum dips 4.5 to 6.4 degrees below normal. Cold wave conditions apply when the minimum falls 4.5 to 6.4 degrees below normal. Friday’s readings met these thresholds across several stations.

Despite the rain, air quality worsened. The city’s Air Quality Index reached 325 by morning. That placed Delhi in the “very poor” category. As many as 26 monitoring stations reported very poor air quality. A day earlier, the AQI stood at 294, which falls under the “poor” bracket.

The Central Pollution Control Board classifies AQI levels clearly. A score between 0 and 50 remains good. Levels up to 100 stay satisfactory. Values up to 200 mark moderate air. Scores between 201 and 300 indicate poor conditions. Readings from 301 to 400 signal very poor air. Anything above 400 turns severe.

For now, Delhi braces for more cold. Meteorologists expect foggy mornings and chilly days to continue. Residents prepare for another round of winter’s harsh grip.