Delhi Plunges to 3-Year Low of 2.9°C, Dense Fog Chokes City
Image Source: Internet
Delhi woke up to its chilliest night in three years on Thursday, with the temperature at Safdarjung, the city's main weather station, dipping to a record low of 2.9 degrees Celsius. This is the lowest temperature reading since January 18, 2023, when the mercury had fallen to 2.6 degrees Celsius. The city has been experiencing harsh winter conditions, with dense to very dense fog severely affecting daily life and visibility across Delhi, according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) latest daily bulletin. The weather office has forecasted that fog is very likely during morning and night hours in Delhi until January 16, with dense fog expected in isolated pockets until January 19. At 5:30 am on Thursday, visibility at Palam airport dropped to a mere 50 meters, while Safdarjung recorded visibility close to 100 meters. News agency ANI shared visuals of dense fog blanketing the city. Minimum temperatures across Delhi remained low, with Safdarjung recording 2.9 degrees Celsius, while other areas experienced similar cold conditions. In the National Capital Region, Gurugram witnessed a significant drop in temperatures. An automatic weather station in the city recorded a minimum of 0.8 degrees Celsius early Wednesday morning, marking a decline of 2.4 degrees Celsius over the past 24 hours. However, neighbouring Faridabad saw no change, with the minimum temperature holding steady at 4.2 degrees Celsius compared to Tuesday. According to the IMD, the yellow alert and weather warnings currently in place for Gurugram are likely to continue on Wednesday. However, officials indicated that conditions may start improving soon, with the weather expected to improve in the coming two to three days and the mercury rising slightly by 2 to 3 degrees towards normal levels. Visibility levels dropped sharply during the early hours, falling to about 300 meters in outer areas at around 3 am, before improving slightly to 350 meters by 8:30 am. Overall, the average minimum temperature rose marginally by 0.3 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day. Despite this slight increase, temperatures in Haryana remain significantly below normal by 3.2 degrees Celsius, with the lowest minimum temperature recorded at 0.4 degrees Celsius in Saragthal.
