NEW DELHI: The capital got a much-needed respite from a spell of biting cold and dense fog on Wednesday. However, the meteorological department sounded a word of caution for Delhiites planning trips and outdoor celebrations in and around the New Year: the chill and fog are likely to return by December 31.To stay warm during a cold wave, make sure to follow these dos and don’tsHigh-speed winds blew away the fog cover, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD), adding decent visibility conditions were likely to prevail till Friday. Thereafter, foggy conditions along with ‘cold wave’ or ‘cold day’ conditions may be back in parts of the city. “However, it’s difficult to forecast the exact intensity and duration of the fog,” said R K Jenamani, senior weather scientist of the IMD.He said that with a western disturbance approaching, the wind speed on Wednesday reached 22 kmph, which lifted the fog and cloud covers, resulting in improved visibility and the city getting uninterrupted sunlight.The lowest visibility at Palam and Safdarjung was 700m, up from less than 50 metres on Monday and Tuesday when an 18-hour-long fog cover – the season’s longest – shrouded the city, disrupting flights and train services. “The visibility at IGI Airport crossed 2,500 metres Wednesday morning and further improved to 3,500 metres towards afternoon,” Jenamani said.However, foggy conditions in some other parts of northern India persisted, leading to 14 Delhi-bound trains being delayed.According to the IMD, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung, the city’s base station, was recorded at 21.8 degrees C, a notch above normal, against 17.2 a day earlier. The minimum was 6.3 deg C, up from 5.6 on Tuesday.At 4.5 deg C, Jafarpur recorded the lowest minimum of the city, followed by 5.2 at the Ridge and 5.4 in Ayanagar.According to the IMD, the maximum and minimum temperatures on Thursday are likely to hover around 23 and 8 deg C respectively.Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 321 against 339 (on a scale of 0 to 500) a day earlier. The pollution forecasting agency expects the air quality to remain ‘very poor’ for the next few days.Watch Harsh cold wave conditions continue, Delhi under dense fog cover
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-weather-fog-lifts-for-now-but-brace-for-a-chilly-foggy-new-year/articleshow/96580798.cms