New Delhi: The Delhi Airport Thursday issued a fog alert for all passengers informing that low visibility procedures are in place. All flight operations are currently normal and the passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information, the Airport authorities said.
Many trains are also running late owing to the dense fog and visibility level today. 12 trains are running late and two trains were rescheduled in the Northern Railway region due to fog. The fog has reduced visibility all over North India.
Cold wave
On Thursday, at 5:30 am, the Safdarjung, Delhi's primary weather station, 7.2 degrees Celsius and the Palam recorded 7 degrees. Due to the frosty winds from the Himalayas, the Safdarjung saw the minimum temperature plummet to 4.4 degrees on Wednesday from 8.5 degrees a day ago. Delhi's minimum temperature was lower than that of Dharamsala (5.2 degrees), Nainital (6 degrees) and Dehradun (4.5 degrees).
The Delhi Ridge weather station near the Delhi University recorded a cold wave with a minimum temperature of 3.3 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the capital on Wednesday. "A cold wave is prevailing in Delhi and maximum temperatures are also low, leading to cold day conditions. Most places are likely to record maximum temperatures between 13 degrees and 15 degrees Celsius," senior IMD scientist RK Jenamani said.
However, there has been an improvement in Delhi's fog condition, he said." Cold wave and cold day conditions are predicted to continue for the next 24 to 36 hours though there will be some improvement under the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance, which is likely to affect northwest India starting January 7," Jenamani said.
DPCC advisory
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had advised resident welfare associations, institutions and other establishments to provide electric heaters, blankets and warm clothes to security guards to prevent open burning of biomass as a cold wave sweeps through the capital.
"As you are aware, a severe cold wave is ongoing in Delhi. This leads to open burning by security guards to keep themselves warm. Open burning is a source of air pollution," the DPCC said, while advising the stakeholders who employ security guards to provide warm kits to security guards. An individual kit may include a sweater, cardigan or warm jacket, socks, winter gloves, woollen cap, electric heater, blanket and N-95 mask.
People in the wee hours were seen huddled around the bonfire. "My shop gets opened 5 A.M. For survival, I have to overcome the cold," an e-rickshaw mechanic who was seen around the fire told. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, 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.
Meanwhile, in Shimla, the persistent drop in mercury levels in many areas including Narkanda, Kufri, and Chamba prompted several locals to go under several layers of woollens. Snowfall has been reported in the hilly areas of the state including Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Kullu with the temperature expected to drop further in the coming days.
Also read: Bonfires warm up Delhi, North India; Ladakh's Padum records -25 degrees
Most parts of the hill state recorded sub-zero temperatures on January 04. Kufri shivered at - 0.3 degrees Celsius on January 04 while Narkanda in Shimla recorded -2.3 degrees Celsius. Over the last 24 hours, Keylong in the Lahaul-Spiti district recorded the lowest temperature in the state at -11 degree Celsius while Kukumseri, in the same district, saw the mercury settling at -10 degree Celsius. Dharamshala recorded a minimum temperature of 5.2 degrees Celsius while the state capital Shimla shivered at 1.7 degrees Celsius.
For Rajasthan, the meteorological office has issued an 'orange alert' indicating that extreme cold wave may continue in many districts, including Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Jhunjhunu and Karauli. The IMD uses four colour codes for weather warnings -- green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action).
The desert state continued to reel under intense cold conditions with Churu and Sikar recording sub-zero minimum temperatures. The minimum temperature was recorded at minus 1.8 degrees Celsius in Fatehpur (Sikar) and minus 1.5 degrees in Churu on Wednesday night, according to the Met office. In most parts of Rajasthan, the minimum temperature remained below four degrees Celsius, while dense fog also enveloped many places on Thursday morning. Coldwave conditions will continue in Rajasthan during the next two days, the weather office said.
In Jammu and Kashmir, officials said the minimum temperature in Srinagar was also the second lowest in the month of January in the last five years. Qazigund, the gateway town to the Kashmir Valley, registered a minimum of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius a degree down from the previous night, they said.
Also read: Dense fog, cold wave set to grip north, northwest India in first week of 2023
The tourist destination of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, which also serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 9.2 degrees Celsius and was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir. There was no let up in biting cold that has been sweeping Punjab and Haryana for the past several days, with minimum temperatures on Thursday again hovering below normal limits at many places.
Gurdaspur was the coldest place in Punjab recording a minimum temperature of 2.2 degrees Celsius. Bathinda recorded a low of 3 degree Celsius, Ludhiana 5.7 degree Celsius, Patiala 5 degree Celsius, Amritsar 5.5 degree Celsius while Mohali recorded a low of 6 degree Celsius . In Haryana, biting cold prevailed in Hisar, which recorded a minimum temperature of 2.2 degree Celsius.
Bhiwani recorded a low of 6.7 degree Celsius, Karnal 6 degree Celsius, Rohtak 5.4 degree Celsius, Sirsa 6.4 degree Celsius while Ambala's minimum settled at 5.5 degree Celsius. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a low of 5.1 degree Celsius. The IMD issued an 'orange alert' for moderate to dense fog in six divisions and 15 districts in Madhya Pradesh.
The IMD also said Datia and Chhatarpur districts in the central state experienced cold wave during the day, while four districts witnessed 'severe cold' and 12 districts, including capital Bhopal and commercial hub Indore, saw 'cold day'. A cold day is when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius below the normal and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees below the normal. A severe cold day is when the maximum is 6.5 degrees Celsius or more below the normal.
In Gujarat's Kutch district, Naliya village recorded the state's lowest temperature at 2 degrees Celsius. While Naliya is experiencing a 'cold wave', Deesa in neighbouring Banaskantha district recorded its lowest temperature at 7 degrees Celsius, followed by 8 degrees Celsius at Kandla Airport, 9 degrees Celsius in Bhuj, Gandhinagar and Vallabh Vidyanagar. Ahmedabad's minimum temperature was 10 degrees Celsius, which was 2 degrees Celsius less than normal temperature.
In the plains, the Met office declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature dips to four degrees Celsius or when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees or below and is 4.5 notches below the normal. A severe cold wave is when the minimum temperature dips to two degrees Celsius or the departure from the normal is more than 6.4 degrees.(With Agency Inputs)
