New Delhi: Delhi recorded its eighth coldest day in January on Wednesday, the highest for the month in at least 12 years, according to data available on the India Meteorological Department’s website. Delhi’s primary weather station Sadarjung Observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 2.6 degrees Celsius. It was 2.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and 1.4 degrees Celsius on Monday. As Delhi and other parts of north India battled cold wave conditions, the national capital was enveloped in a thick blanket of fog this morning, severely affecting the movement of trains and flights. Several flights were delayed at the Delhi airport while trains were running late due to low visibility.
Delhi | Several flights delayed due to fog and low visibility; view from delhi airport pic.twitter.com/W51vKeR6XO– ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2023
Delhi witnessed seven days of cold wave in January 2020, while last year did not record any such day. According to IMD data, the city recorded severe cold wave from January 5 to 9, the second longest duration in the month in a decade.
It has recorded over 50 hours of dense fog so far this month, which is the highest since 2019. The cold wave conditions will abate from Thursday-Friday under the influence of two western disturbances, which are likely to affect the region in quick succession, the weather office said.
When a western disturbance – a weather system characterized by warm moist winds from the Middle East – approaches an area, the wind direction changes. Light rain or drizzle may also occur in the city on Thursday night.
Light to moderate rain and hailstorm with wind speed reaching 50 kmph has been predicted over northwest India including Delhi under the influence of another Western Disturbance on January 23-24.
Delhi has not recorded any rainfall so far this winter season. The Meteorological Department has attributed this to the lack of strong western disturbances in November and December. Last year, the city recorded 82.2 mm of rainfall in January, the highest for the month since 1901.