New Delhi: The national capital continues to reel under intense winter conditions as temperatures dipped sharply at the start of the week, with the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) warning that cold wave conditions are set to persist for the next few days.
Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 3 degrees Celsius on Monday, January 12, marking one of the coldest mornings of the season. According to the IMD, temperatures on Tuesday, January 13, are expected to remain in the range of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius. Private forecaster SkyMet noted that Delhi witnessed its “first under 4°C” temperature this winter, along with the second cold wave day of the season, adding that similar conditions could continue through the weekend.
The minimum temperature in Delhi’s Safdarjung was recorded at 3 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature at the same location stood at 20.6 degrees Celsius.
Gurugram’s outskirts recorded sub-zero temperatures for the second straight morning, with temperatures in some suburban pockets plunging to as low as minus 0.9 degree Celsius.
Delhi colder than Shimla
Surprisingly, Delhi is colder than the hilly terrains of Shimla. On Monday, the IMD predicted that Shimla would record a maximum temperature of around 16 degrees Celsius and a minimum of about 9 degrees Celsius.
In view of the biting cold, the IMD issued an orange alert for Delhi-NCR on Tuesday, forecasting cold wave conditions at several locations. The department said that cold wave conditions are likely to prevail at a few places on January 13 and at isolated pockets on January 14. Cloudy skies are also expected over parts of the city later in the week.
Both IMD and SkyMet have indicated that the cold wave may start easing after mid-week. As per the IMD’s latest bulletin, minimum temperatures are likely to remain “appreciably below normal” over the next two days, before gradually rising towards normal levels after January 15. “Slight relief is possible around 16–17 January, with chances of winter rain between 18 and 21 January,” Skymet said in its weather update on Monday.
The IMD also pointed to the influence of an approaching western disturbance, expected to affect the western Himalayan region from January 15. Under its impact, wind patterns may shift, slowing down icy northerly winds and increasing humidity, which could slightly ease the chill in Delhi. SkyMet has further suggested that there is a possibility of winter rainfall between January 18 and 21, which could bring more noticeable relief.
The IMD has warned that parts of Uttar Pradesh may experience dense fog on Tuesday, with similar conditions very likely in Bihar, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Uttarakhand.
