The cold wave conditions have started affecting north and north-west regions of India, with several towns and cities in the country reporting low temperatures of below 20 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature recorded in Delhi on Monday was 5 degrees Celsius, which is three degrees below average. The city was shrouded in thick fog, with visibility dipping to 50 meters at Palam airport. The Met department said that the city will continue to experience cold weather throughout the day. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 16 degrees Celsius.
According to the India Met Department, the cold wave conditions will affect various cities in Punjab and Haryana over the next couple of days. The agency also said that the cold wave conditions will affect the regions of Saurashtra and Kutch over the next couple of days.
A cold wave condition occurs when temperatures drop to 4 degrees Celsius or lower, or 4.5 degrees below the normal mark. Delhi witnessed the lowest recorded minimum temperature on Christmas this season. It was 5.3 degrees Celsius.
The cold wave conditions have further prompted the Delhi government to order the closure of schools for the winter break from January 1.
The weather department has also predicted that the western disturbance that will affect the region on December 26 will bring snow in the higher reaches of the state, such as the Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, and the areas of the Bundelkhand.
According to the MeT officials, the mercury dropped several degrees below zero in various parts of Kashmir on Sunday. The cold conditions have also caused the Dal Lake in the city of Srinagar to freeze.
Delhi AQI ‘Very poor’
The air quality in Delhi continued to be very poor” on Monday morning. The city’s pollution control board reported that the hourly air quality index was at 332 at 7 am.
On Monday, the government’s monitoring agency – System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research – said, “Delhi: Overall AQI today indicates ‘very poor’ air quality. Fine particles (size < 2.5 micrometer) contribute ~ 65% to PM10. For the next 3 days, surface wind speed (15 to 25 km/h) and temperature (Max 20-21 deg C; Min 5-7 deg C) are likely to reduce AQI. Mixing layer height is likely to be ~ 1.0 km that helps dilution of pollutants.
Air quality is likely to remain “very poor” for the next couple of days due to the low temperature and the high surface winds.