NEW DELHI: The national capital saw cold wave conditions for the fifth consecutive day on Monday.
The Safdarjung observatory recorded a minimum of 3.8 degrees Celsius as against 1.9 degrees on Sunday, which is the lowest in January in two years and the second lowest in the month since 2013.
The cold wave spell has been so intense that the city recorded a minimum temperature lower than that of most of the hill stations. The visibility level dropped to 50m at the Palam observatory and 25m at the Safdarjung observatory.
“The long cold wave spell can be attributed to a large gap between two western disturbances which allowed the north-westerly winds from the mountains to affect the plains for a longer-than-usual period,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change), Skymet Weather.
Meanwhile, the government on Monday imposed a temporary ban on plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in view of the worsening air quality. The city’s AQI worsened to the ‘severe’ category on Monday owing to unfavourable meteorological conditions prompting the CAQM to direct all NCR states to implement anti-pollution curbs with greater vigour.
“As per directions under Stage III of the revised GRAP and under Section 115 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is hereby ordered that there shall be restrictions to ply BS-III, Petrol and BS-IV, Diesel LMVs (4-wheelers) in NCT of Delhi, with immediate effect,” read the order issued.