IMD's cold wave alert for Delhi today and tomorrow; Aya Nagar coldest at 3.8°C

NEW DELHI: Delhi experienced its first cold wave of the season, with the city's primary weather station at Safdarjung documenting the lowest minimum temperature of 4.9 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal. India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for cold wave conditions through Thursday and Friday and forecast a minimum temperature of around 4 degrees Celsius.

The season's first cold wave also marks the earliest since Dec 6, 1987, when the minimum temperature dipped below 5 degrees to 4.1 degrees Celsius. The chill, according to weather scientists, was due to persistent and strong, chilly north-westerly winds.

"The city saw strong westerly winds on Dec 10, with wind speed reaching up to 20 kmph. The skies were clear, and the wind was highly dry, so there was hardly any moisture. Cold winds with low vapours and clear skies make the chill factor very high," said RK Jenamani, senior weather scientist, IMD. "Today, the speed reduced, yet it is still 10-15 kmph, and the icy cold winds are dry."

In the plains, a cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature is both below or equal to 10 degrees Celsius and the recorded temperature is below 4.5 degrees of the season's average. The second criterion, if the first one is not fulfilled, is the minimum temperature being less than or equal to 4 degrees Celsius.

Wednesday's 4.9 degrees Celsius matched the minimum temperature of Dec 2023 on Dec 15. It was a steep fall from Tuesday's minimum temperature of 8 degrees. In Dec 2022, the lowest minimum was recorded on Dec 26 at 5 degrees Celsius, while in 2021, it was 3.2 degrees Celsius on Dec 20. The all-time low for Dec is 0 degrees Celsius on Dec 27, 1930.

Ayanagar in southwest Delhi was the coldest location in the city with a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees.

The city's maximum temperature also remained below normal at 23 degrees Celsius, the same as recorded on Tuesday and two below normal. The maximum and minimum temperature on Thursday is likely to be 23 and 4 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the city's air quality improved to ‘moderate' level on Wednesday, given the strong winds a day earlier. The AQI reading was 199 against 234 the previous day. Neighbouring Faridabad and Ghaziabad recorded much better air quality at, respectively 98 and 52, both in the ‘satisfactory' zone.

According to IITM's advanced air quality forecast, AQI is likely to slip back in the ‘poor' category between Dec 12 and 14. "The outlook for the subsequent 6 days: The air quality is likely to be in the Poor category," said the IITM forecast.


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