NEW DELHI: Expect tonight to be extremely chilly as a cold wave is likely to sweep the national capital from midnight (January 27), according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials.
While the chilly winds and ‘cold day’ conditions continued to grip the national capital on Wednesday (Republic Day), sunshine appeared briefly giving way to overcast skies.
IMD officials said while cold day conditions continued in Delhi-NCR, the chill is likely to stay for a few days with the nights (expect a drop in minimum temperature) becoming colder now, as northwesterly winds returned to the city.
Delhi saw ‘severe cold days’ over the past two days with the maximum temperature dropping to its lowest of the season (12.1 degrees C) and the lowest recorded for this month since 2013. Also, this January saw the highest number of cold days, so far 13, since January 2003 when 18 such days were recorded.
On Wednesday, Safdarjung (Delhi’s base station) recorded a maximum temperature of 16.4 degrees C, six notches below normal, while the minimum settled at 5.8 degrees C, three notches below normal; thus another ‘cold day.’
The IMD declares a ‘cold day’ if the maximum temperature is over 4.5 degrees below normal, with minimum being below the 10-degree mark. A ‘severe cold day’ is when the maximum temperature is over 6.5 degrees below normal.
IMD scientists said that day (maximum) temperature would begin to rise after January 26, but cold wave conditions (when the minimum temperature drops) could persist with night temperature likely to drop to 5-6 degrees C by January 27. Northwesterly winds blowing from snow-clad mountains will cause a drop in night temperature by 3-5 notches.
“Cold wave conditions are likely over northwest and central India, next three-four days. Western Disturbance (WD) as a cyclonic circulation lies over northwest Uttar Pradesh. Also, a fresh feeble WD is likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from January 29 and another WD is likely to affect northwest India from February 2,” IMD’s Wednesday bulletin states.
Under the influence of a fresh WD, light isolated rainfall/snowfall is likely over Western Himalayan Region from January 29-30. Cold day conditions in isolated pockets are likely over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, it said.
