On Friday, Delhi experienced the coldest temperature of the season, as Safdarjung, the city’s official weather observatory, recorded a minimum temperature of 3.9 degrees Celsius. The Met Department data revealed that this dip was three degrees below the normal range, signalling the onset of a cold wave.
Meteorological Department data indicates that the mercury dipped three degrees below normal, hinting at the onset of a cold wave, typically observed when the minimum temperature hovers around 2 degrees Celsius. The Lodhi Road area registered a minimum temperature of 3.6 degrees Celsius, marking the lowest for the season in the respective areas, as per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
IMD reported dense to very dense fog conditions over Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. In a tweet, they mentioned, “Very dense fog reported in isolated pockets of Punjab, Delhi, and West Uttar Pradesh; Dense fog in isolated pockets over Jammu division, Haryana and East Uttar Pradesh; Moderate fog in isolated pockets over Bihar, West Madhya Pradesh and Assam.”
The bone-chilling weather affected daily life, particularly for commuters, with 39 passenger trains to Delhi running behind schedule. Delhi (Palam) Airport reported zero visibility, while Safdarjung Airport noted 200 meters visibility in dense fog conditions on Friday morning.
Faced with the harsh cold, many homeless individuals sought refuge in night shelters across the city. Krishnakant Choudhary, a caretaker at AIIMS shelter homes, mentioned, “At least 350 beds have been arranged in the AIIMS shelter, and around 450 people stay here. The food is provided three times, quilts are being provided; every arrangement done by the Delhi government is in place.”
As winter intensifies, Delhi residents brace themselves for more frigid temperatures and continued disruptions in daily life.