Delhi records coldest day in January in past 10 years
1 min read . Updated: 01 Feb 2023, 08:38 AM IST
Premium- The MeT department said that Delhi recorded an average minimum temperature of 6.6 degrees Celsius due to northwesterly winds
Delhi recorded its coldest day in January this year, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD)
The MeT department said that the national capital recorded an average minimum temperature of 6.6 degrees Celsius due to northwesterly winds.
The temperature was 0.9 degrees below the normal for January. In 2013, Delhi recorded its lower average minimum in January at 6.1 degrees Celsius.
IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava told Hindustan Times that Delhi's cold weather can be attributed to two strong western disturbance spells affecting the Himalayas.
He said that in the first spell, the cold wave was recorded between January 5 and 9 which had cloudy skies and upper-level fog. The second 'cold wave' spell started between 16 and 18 January and had clear skies.
"Each time a western disturbance influences a region, the minimum temperature rises as the skies become cloudy".
The IMD scientist that there were four western disturbances in January, three of which impacted the Himalayan region. It led to a lack of rainfall in the entire northern region in January.
Meanwhile, visibility across North India was reduced to concerning levels on Tuesday as fog engulfed the entire region. While areas like Bhatinda in Punjab witnessed zero visibility, the national capital also witnessed low visibility of only 50 metres at Palam.
The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 20.2 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal on Tuesday, even as chilly winds made the weather cold in Delhi.
The air quality index (AQI) stood at 181 (moderate) at 9 am. On Monday, it had stood at 207 (poor).
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
Forecasts for Wednesday show that strong surface winds of speeds up to 25-30 kmph are expected to continue, while mainly clear skies will be seen during the day. The maximum and minimum is likely to hover around 20 and 10 degree Celsius respectively, HT reported.
