Cold waves and fog conditions improved across North India, but the relief will be brief as a fresh cold wave will likely sweep Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi beginning January 14. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday that the minimum temperature in the northwest and central India is likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius from January 14, while in eastern India, the temperature might fall by 2-3 degrees Celsius from January 15. No respite is expected at least till January 17.
(Credit: IMD)IMD scientist Soma Sen Roy said on Thursday that it's likely that cold wave conditions will emerge again over northwest India from January 15-16. "Given the seasonal rise in temperature, we expect isolated cold wave conditions," she said, adding that currently, temperatures have increased due to a western disturbance in northwest India.
Navdeep Dahiya, a weather expert who among the first to raise the alarm, had warned that the temperature is likely to drop to a minimum of -4 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius in the plains. "The icy, severe chill is likely to be experienced between January 14 and 19 and is likely to be at its peak from January 16 to 18, he had said in a tweet.
Most parts of North India experienced severe cold waves in the last few weeks, but the temperature rose slightly on Wednesday. The national capital recorded a cold wave spell from January 5 to January 9, the longest in the month in a decade, according to IMD data. In Rajasthan, Fatehpur in Sikar and Churu recorded minimum temperatures of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius and minus 1.5 degrees Celsius on January 5.
The IMD has predicted a "partly cloudy sky" in Delhi on Friday as Safdarjung in the national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius, and Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 12.4 degrees Celsius till 8.30 am. "The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 21 and 10 degrees Celsius, respectively," the IMD said.
Some flights (Delhi-San Francisco/Kathmandu, Delhi-Chandigarh-Kullu, Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Dharamshala-Chandigarh, Delhi-Shimla- Dharamshala, Delhi-Dehradun) were delayed due to fog around the Delhi airports.
Meanwhile, parts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir continue to receive snowfall. "Snowfall occurred in Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Chamba. Light snowfall occurred in the periphery of Shimla town. Kothi village of Kullu received heavy snowfall of 14 cm," S Paul, IMD Director, Shimla, said.
Rainfall is also predicted over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and adjoining areas of west Uttar Pradesh on Friday. The traffic movement was suspended on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
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