On Wednesday, Delhi awoke to a frigid morning, with the minimum temperature recorded at 4.9 degrees Celsius, which was 5 degrees below normal for the first time this winter season. Over the last 24 hours, the temperature has dropped by at least 3 degrees.
While Safdarjang, the city’s major meteorological station, registered 4.9 degrees Celsius, Palam’s minimum temperature was 6.2, a 1.2-degree dip, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
At 5.30 a.m., the city’s average temperature was 5.6 degrees Celsius. On Tuesday, the minimum temperature was 8 degrees. The last coldest day of the season occurred on December 7, when the minimum temperature dropped to 7.1 degrees Celsius, three degrees below average.
The big drop comes only days after the Met Department forecast a major drop in temperature in the national capital by Thursday as part of a cold wave that is also likely to strike Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Today’s decrease signals the start of the season’s first cold wave in Delhi. According to the IMD, a cold wave in the plains occurs when the minimum temperature goes to 4 degrees or below, as well as when it falls between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees below average.
The national capital experienced a minimum temperature of 4.9 degrees on December 15, 2023, highlighting a recurring pattern in winter cold periods. The lowest temperature ever measured at the Safdarjung Station was 0.0 degrees on December 27, 1930.
Meteorologists blame the unexpected temperature dip to northerly winds bringing cold air from the Himalayas, exacerbating the winter chill in the city. The persistent drop in overnight temperatures is cause for alarm, and the cold wave advisory, based on IMD criteria, remains in effect, emphasizing the need for prudence.
DELHI AIR QUALITY IS ‘POOR’ TODAY
With the dip in temperature, India’s air quality stayed in the “poor” category, having a thin layer of contamination blanketing the city. According to data from the Central Air Quality Control Board (CPCB), the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was 209 as of 7 a.m. While Anand Vihar (218), Ashok Vihar (227), Dwarka (250), and IGI Airport (218) have “poor” AQI, localities like Aya Nagar (148),