As mercury plummets, North India battles severe cold

Delhi, Rajasthan, and Jammu and Kashmir are battling a severe cold spell, with temperatures plummeting as low as national capital significantly.

Earlier on Tuesday, Delhi recorded a low of 7 degrees Celsius accompanied by fog. Residents bundled up and sought warmth around bonfires, while others found shelter in night shelters. Monday's temperatures in Delhi saw a low of 8 degrees Celsius and a high of 20 degrees Celsius.

Rajasthan also continues to face cold weather, disrupting daily routines. Bikaner's temperature reached 9 degrees Celsius.

Jammu and Kashmir are experiencing sub-zero temperatures. Srinagar recorded -5.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning. Other areas reported -0.6 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg, -6.8 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam, -0.8 degrees Celsius in Banihal, and -4.6 degrees Celsius in Kupwara. Srinagar’s temperature on Monday ranged from -7 to 7 degrees Celsius.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) defines a cold wave as temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius or less for plains and 0 degrees Celsius or less for hilly regions.

The IMD predicted a severe cold wave for Jammu and Kashmir beginning December 24. Dense fog and cold wave conditions are also anticipated from December 23-25 in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states.

Delhi's air quality worsened, reaching "severe" levels on Tuesday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 401 at 8 AM, further exacerbated by the fog. Monday's AQI was also "severe" at 403. Alipur recorded 417, Anand Vihar 423, RK Puram 425, and ITO 402.

The AQI scale is as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe).
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