NEW DELHI, Dec. 20 -- After four days of marginal respite from 'severe' pollution levels, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) once again neared the 400-mark as the city woke up enveloped in a thick blanket of fog and chilly temperatures on Saturday. The national capital experienced its first cold wave of the season, recording its coldest December day this year so far. Two of its five monitoring stations-Safdarjung and Palam-recorded cold wave conditions, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). While Safdarjung recorded a maximum temperature of 16.9 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees below normal, Palam recorded 16.3 degrees Celsius, 5.6 below normal. The minimum temperature was recorded at 6.1 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal. Visibility was severely affected in the morning, with Safdarjung at 200 metres and Palam at 350 metres, improving later to 400 metres and 600 metres respectively. Shallow to moderate fog persisted throughout the day, prompting an orange alert for dense fog. The average AQI over the past 24 hours stood at 398, indicating 'very poor' air quality, with PM 2.5 as the principal pollutant, following three consecutive days of 'severe' AQI since December 13. Foggy conditions and low mercury also affected northern states, with a red alert issued in Uttar Pradesh and at least 129 flights cancelled at Delhi airport due to low visibility.
Meanwhile, the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are set to witness wet weather, with rain and snow in several areas. A day ahead of the onset of 'Chillai-Kalan'-the 40-day harsh winter period in Kashmir from December 21 to January 31-moderate to heavy snowfall is forecast in higher reaches, while light to moderate precipitation may affect the plains. Pulwama recorded the lowest night temperature at minus 3.2 degrees Celsius, with Srinagar at minus 0.4 degrees Celsius. Other areas including Pahalgam, Kokernag, Qazigund, and Gulmarg also experienced freezing or near-freezing conditions. In Himachal Pradesh, a yellow warning for dense fog was issued in Bilaspur and Mandi districts, with isolated light snow and rain predicted in high and middle hills, and a weak western disturbance expected from December 25. The state has received zero rainfall in December so far, raising concern among farmers. In Uttar Pradesh, districts including Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Meerut, and others are likely to be affected by dense fog and cold conditions. The IMD has advised people to exercise caution during early morning hours and urged authorities to remain alert as low visibility may disrupt road, rail, and air traffic, while Punjab and Haryana also continue to face intense cold under persistent fog.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.