New Delhi – Delhi had a cold morning on Tuesday as the India Meteorological Department declared a “cold day” in the city. Dense fog covered most places in the morning, reducing visibility to a significant extent.
Weather Highlights
The minimum of 9.6 degrees Celsius was recorded, and Monday’s minimum stood at 10.3 degrees Celsius. Degrees above the season’s normal stand at 2.6. Though minimum was relatively higher, a sense of cold day conditions has gripped the city. The maximum will settle only at 15 degrees Celsius in helping chill the day.
A “cold day” is declared if the minimum temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum is at least 4.5 degrees lower than the average of the season. Otherwise, it is a “cold day” when the minimum falls below 4 degrees Celsius.
Mainly clear skies are expected later in the day, but shallow fog or smog is likely to return during the evening and night, the IMD said.
Air Quality Update
The air quality in the city remains a concern. At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Delhi’s AQI stood at 248, placing it in the ‘poor’ category. This represents a decline from Monday’s AQI reading of 173, which was classified as ‘moderate.’
Out of the total 31 stations in Delhi, five reported their air quality falling in the ‘severe’ category with the AQI rating crossing 400. Affected areas were Jahangirpuri, Nehru Nagar, Patparganj, Vivek Vihar, and Wazirpur.
The 24-hour Air Quality Index, at 4 pm on Monday, was in the ‘moderate’ category. An AQI of 0-50 falls under the ‘good’ category, 51-100 as ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 as ‘moderate,’ 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’ and 401-500 as ‘severe’.
Forecast Ahead
According to the Met Department, the weather will be the same in the coming days, and the conditions of cold day are likely to persist. It means that residents will still feel cold in the mornings and in the evening and the poor air quality will continue to affect their health.
Effects on Residents
Delhi has to bear cold temperatures and very poor air quality. Long periods of ‘poor’ or worse AQI levels result in respiratory issues mostly amongst the sensitive populations: children, seniors, and patients with other conditions.
The officials and the locals are suggested to be cautious with the health hazard of the winter season and poor air quality.
Source: Sameer app, India Meteorological Department data.