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IMD Issues Orange Alert for Delhi! National Capital Gets Colder, Temperature Drops to 3 Degrees

Weather update: Parts of the National capital, including Lodhi Road, Palam, and Ayanagar recorded a very cold day, with the maximum temperature settling five to seven notches below normal.

Shruti Kandwal
The Delhi airport issued a fog alarm and put limited visibility procedures in place.
The Delhi airport issued a fog alarm and put limited visibility procedures in place.

Latest Weather News: On January 5, Delhi's minimum temperature dropped to 3 degrees Celsius, the season's lowest, which had a negative impact on both rail and road traffic.

On Thursday, Delhi was hit by a devastating cold wave, with the minimum temperature falling to three degrees Celsius, the worst January temperature in two years. This made Delhi colder than several hill regions. Commuting was extremely difficult due to a blinding layer of dense fog that covered north India, including Delhi. Around 5.30 am, visibility levels were 50 meters.

Fog Alarm Issued at Delhi Airport

Furthermore, the Delhi airport issued a fog alarm and put limited visibility procedures in place. An alert stated, "Passengers are urged to contact the airline in question for the latest flight information." The main meteorological station in Delhi, the Safdarjung observatory, recorded a low temperature of three degrees Celsius on Thursday, down from 4.4 degrees on Wednesday and 8.5 degrees on Tuesday.

Dalhousie (4.9 degrees Celsius), Dharamshala (5.2 degrees), Kangra (3.2 degrees), Shimla (3.7 degrees), Dehradun (4.6 degrees), Mussoorie (4.4 degrees), and Nainital all had lower minimum temperatures than Delhi did (6.2 degrees).

Minimum temperatures in Delhi were measured at 2.8 degrees Celsius, 2.2 degrees, and 2.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, at the meteorological stations at Lodhi Road, Ayanagar, and Ridge.

The highest temperature in certain areas of the city, including Lodhi Road, Palam, and Ayanagar, was five to seven degrees below average on this cold day. Power systems are expected to be strained by the cold snap, and homeless people and animals may face difficulties.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee Wednesday advised residents' welfare associations, institutions, and other establishments to provide electric heaters, blankets, and warm clothes to security guards in order to prevent the open burning of biomass that causes pollution. This advice came as people gathered around bonfires throughout the city.

Although there will be some improvement due to the effect of a new Western Disturbance, which is expected to reach northwest India starting January 7, a senior IMD official projected that the cold wave and chilly day conditions would persist for the next 24 hours. When the lowest temperature in the plains drops to four degrees Celsius or is 10 degrees Celsius or below and 4.5 notches below normal, the meteorological service announces a cold wave.

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