At 2.9° C, Delhi records season’s coldest morning

Minimum temperatures are expected to rise gradually over the next few days, though they are likely to remain below normal initially. Another western disturbance is likely to affect Northwest India from January 19, the IMD said.

As per IMD data, minimum temperatures across Delhi remained appreciably below normal, ranging between 2 and 5 degrees Celsius. Cold wave conditions were observed at most places.

Dense fog reduced visibility at key locations, with Palam airport reporting visibility as low as 50 m early morning, while Safdarjung recorded 100 m.

The cold conditions were accompanied by persistently poor air quality across NCR.

Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 343 on Thursday, a marginal improvement from Wednesday’s 353, both in the ‘Very Poor’ category. Gurgaon recorded an AQI of 318 (Very Poor), worsening from Wednesday’s 279 (Poor), while Noida’s AQI deteriorated to 344 (Very Poor) from 338.

According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) forecast, Delhi’s AQI will remain in the ‘Very Poor’ category until January 17, and may slip into the ‘Severe’ category on January 18.

“The outlook for the subsequent six days indicates air quality is likely to fluctuate between Severe and Very Poor,” the institute said.