Delhi's minimum temperature dips to 2 degree Celsius, air quality deteriorates to ‘severe’ level

On January 1, Delhi had recorded a minimum of 1.1 degrees Celsius—lowest for the month in 15 years.

Fog covered Rajpath in New Delhi. (Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS) 

NEW DELHI: Cold wave conditions continued in the national capital on Thursday as well with the minimum temperature dropping down to 2 degree Celsius, five degrees below the normal for this time of the year, according to the India Meteorological Department.

On January 1, Delhi had recorded a minimum of 1.1 degrees Celsius—lowest for the month in 15 years.

IMD scientists said cold wave conditions are expected to continue in Delhi and NCR for next five days. On Friday, the temperature will rise marginally but fall again on Saturday. Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality turned “severe” on Thursday due to the prevailing “extremely unfavourable” conditions for dispersion of pollutants, government agencies said.

The city’s 24-hour air quality index (AQI) was 429. The air quality plunged to “severe” levels in Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida and Faridabad, while it was “very poor” in Gurgaon, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

•  Cold and dry winds from the western Himalayas have been barreling through the plains, bringing the minimum temperature in north India down.
•  IMD declares a ‘cold wave’ if the temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius. A ‘severe cold wave’ is when it is 2 degrees Celsius or less.
•  Delhi had been registering above-normal minimum temperatures till Monday thanks to cloud cover due to successive Western Disturbances
•  Cold northwesterly winds brought the temperature down again the latest disturbance withdrew