Bonfires warm up Delhi, North India; Ladakh's Padum records -25 degrees

After a brief respite on New Year eve, cold wave conditions returned to the national capital as people huddled around bonfires to beat chilling conditions. Ladakh's Padum recorded a minimum temperature of -25.1 degrees Celcius and J&K's Gulmarg -10 degrees C.

New Delhi: Amid the people celebrating New Year, temperatures have dipped bringing back cold wave in Delhi and other parts of North India. The punishing weather threatens to continue for some more days even as people are taking respite by lighting up bonfires all over.

The cold wave conditions have returned to parts of northwest India. The meteorological department Has forecast dense fog over Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Delhi over the next three days. Fog is common at this time of the year due to light winds and high moisture near the surface over the Indo-Gangetic plains. Meanwhile, the air quality in the national capital was recorded in 'very poor' category with the AQI (air quality index) reaching 301.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, "due to north-westerly winds over plains of northwest India from the Himalayas, minimum temperatures are very likely to fall down to 2-4 degrees Celsius over northwest and adjoining central India during the next two days." Ladakh's Padum recorded a minimum temperature of -25.1 degrees Celcius, while Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg recorded a minimum temperature of -10 degrees Celcius.

IMD further said, "dense to very dense fog in the night/morning hours in some pockets over north India, including Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh is likely to continue during next five days."

A watchman who was seen near a bonfire near Mata Sundri road in the New Delhi area said, "it is very very cold. One cannot survive without sitting near the fire." Another man sitting near the bonfire said, "I leave my place for work at around 5 am in the morning. Sitting near the fire is the only respite in the cold weather."

According to the forecast made by the IMD, the minimum and maximum temperatures in January 2023 are most likely to remain below normal over many parts of central India and adjoining areas of peninsular, east, and northwest India. The IMD also said that "dense to very dense fog and cold wave conditions are very likely to continue over the plains of northwest India during the next five days."

As per the IMD, the minimum and maximum temperatures in January 2023 are most likely to remain below normal over many parts of central India and adjoining areas of peninsular, east, and northwest India.