Delhi shudders at 4.2°C
NEW DELHI: The national Capital on Friday shuddered as the city witnessed another severe cold day, recording a minimum of 4.2 degrees Celsius, the season's lowest, the weather department said. Meanwhile, the mercury is likely to drop further on the weekend.
The city has been witnessing the longest December cold spell since 1997 and recorded a high of 13.4 degrees Celsius, which was seven notches below normal. Dense fog at isolated pockets is very likely to prevail over the national capital and its adjoining areas during the next three days, India Meteorological Department said.
"Dense fog at isolated pockets likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, north Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh during next three days and over north Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim and Odisha during next two days and over northeastern India during next 4-5 days and abate thereafter," weather department said
People warm themselves around a bonfire on a cold wintry morning in New Delhi on Friday
in a tweet. The Meteorological Department on Thursday said the Delhi-ncr region is expected to record its secondcoldest December since 1901.
On the other hand, the air quality was recorded in “very poor” category (373) at 4 pm, primarily due to low wind speed, high humidity, and cold weather. As of 12 noon on Friday, air monitoring station
located in Delhi's Nehru Nagar has registered the most polluted air, having recorded an AQI of 400--just one index short of the ‘severe' category. Stations at Mundka (396), Vivek Vihar (395) and Jahangirpuri (394) follow closely.
On the other hand, the lowest AQIS were registered at Aya Nagar (327) and Alipur (329), towards the lower end of ‘very poor'. AQIS from 301 to 400 are classified as ‘very poor', while those between 401 and 500 belong to the ‘severe' category.
The rise in Delhi's pollution
levels from the lower end of ‘very poor' to the middle of the category is primarily down to the calm surface winds. Meanwhile, SAFAR forecasts indicate a further drop in air quality levels in the days to come.