Delhi Freezes at Season’s Lowest Temperature, Disrupting Transportation

Delhi experienced its coldest morning of the season as temperatures plunged to 3.6 degrees Celsius, causing dense fog that disrupted flight and train operations. The chilly weather, characterized by low visibility, led to delays in several flights at Delhi airport and multiple trains arriving at the railway station in the national capital.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) declared Friday as the season’s first cold wave day, with the minimum temperature dropping below 4 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, the temperature plummeted further, reaching a minimum of 3.6 degrees Celsius at Lodi Road, marking the lowest winter temperature this year. Safdarjung recorded 3.9 degrees Celsius at 8:30 am.

The IMD issued a cold day warning, indicating minimum temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, with maximum temperatures dropping 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius below normal.

The fog severely impacted visibility, with the IGI Airport reporting general visibility of 350 meters and runway visibility between 800 to 1000 meters. Palam and Safdarjung witnessed even lower visibility, recorded at 200 meters each.

Several trains were delayed, including the Mumbai CSMT-Amritsar Express, which experienced a 4-hour delay in reaching Delhi. Other affected trains included Dakshin Express, Malwa Express, Khajuraho-Kurukshetra Express, Swaraj Express, Grand Trunk Express, Mangala Lakshadweep Express, and New Delhi Indore Intercity Express.

Amid the inclement weather, the homeless sought refuge in night shelters across Delhi. These shelters, equipped with blankets, beds, hot water, and food, aim to provide solace to those living on the streets.

The IMD’s forecast for the day predicted a maximum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius in Delhi. Dense to very dense fog was reported in isolated pockets of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Gangetic West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh.

Cold-day to severe cold-day conditions prevailed in many places over Bihar, a few places over West Bengal, and some pockets in Madhya Pradesh. As the January 26 Republic Day parade rehearsals continued at Kartavya Path, the IMD anticipated the persistence of fog during the morning hours in isolated pockets of northwest India over the next three to four days.