The mercury plunged below 3°C in parts of Delhi as the capital recorded a third successive cold wave day on Wednesday while the air quality deteriorated slightly but remained in the poor category. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the wave was expected to abate by Thursday when the minimum temperature will rise to the 6°C and Delhi was also likely to get a drizzle due to a fresh western disturbance.
Safdarjung, Delhi’s representational weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 2.6°C, five notches below normal and 0.2°C higher than Tuesday. Lodhi Road was Delhi’s coldest as the mercury plunged to 2.2°C.
The IMD declares a cold wave in the region when the minimum temperature is 4.5°C or more below the normal mark or when it drops to 4°C or lower. The Safdarjung observatory (2.6), Lodhi road (2.2), Ridge (2.3), and Ayanagar (3.2) met the criteria on Wednesday.
Delhi has had eight cold wave days in January so far. The Safdarjung station recorded five consecutive such days between January 5 till January 9, the longest for January since five cold days in January 2013.
On Monday, Delhi recorded its lowest temperature this season, when the minimum dropped to 1.4°C at Safdarjung. It was the lowest since 1.1°C on January 1, 2021 and also Delhi’s second coldest day in at least a decade.
An IMD official cited the impact of the western disturbance and said it has started with a gradual raise in temperatures in northern India. “…cold wave conditions will abate on January 19 [Thursday].”
Delhi’s minimum temperature is likely to remain over 6°C until at least January 23. “Two back-to-back western disturbances are likely, with the first influencing Delhi on January 19 [Thursday] and 20 [Friday]. The second will begin impacting Delhi from January 22 [Sunday] onwards.”
The official said rain was expected on Monday and Tuesday next and there would not be cold northwesterly winds. “…cloudy skies will also raise the minimum [temperatures],” the official said.
Despite low night temperatures, Delhi’s maximum has largely remained unaffected and hovered close to the normal over the last two days. Delhi is expected to have another warm and sunny day on Wednesday with a maximum temperature of around 21°C, compared to 19.7°C on Tuesday and 18.7°C on Monday.
An Air Quality Index (AQI) of 293 (poor) was recorded at 8am compared to 288 (poor) at 4pm on Tuesday. It was likely to return to very poor on Wednesday.
An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and over 400 severe.
