NEW DELHI: The city got temporary respite from the biting cold on Friday even as visibility dropped. The weather department expects the minimum temperature and visibility to drop further with the possibility of a cold wave by January 1 and dense fog from Saturday.Moderate fog was recorded on Friday with visibility at Palam dropping to 200 metres at 8.30am against 1,800 metres a day earlier. “Due to dense to very dense fog over large parts of northern India, running of 20 trains was disrupted and three (Delhi-Kotdwar Express, Anand Vihar-Saharsa and Meerut City-Lucknow) were rescheduled,” said an official of Northern Railway. Flights, however, were not affected.According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city and its adjoining regions are likely to see dense fog from December 31 to January 5. “Dense fog conditions are likely to continue over the plains of northwest India for the next 4-5 days. A fresh cold wave is likely to commence over northwest India from January 1,” stated a forecast from the weather department.An active western disturbance will influence the region upon its passage and send icy cold winds to the Delhi region, thereby dropping temperature from December 31 night.“Due to northwesterly winds from the Himalayas over the plains of northwest India, the minimum temperature is likely to fall gradually by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three days. As a result, cold wave conditions are likely in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi from January 1 to 4,” stated IMD.The weather department has cautioned for safe driving due to dense to very dense fog at night and morning hours over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and in isolated pockets of Uttar Pradesh for the next five days.On Friday, the minimum temperature of the city increased, while the maximum temperature saw a slight drop. The maximum temperature was recorded at 22.8 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, against 23.7 degrees Celsius a day earlier. The minimum temperature at the city’s base weather station, Safdarjung, was recorded at 10.7 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal and the highest since the past 15 days, against 7 degrees Celsius a day earlier.The maximum and minimum temperatures on Saturday are likely to hover around 21 and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.Meanwhile, the air quality of the city deteriorated within the “very poor” category and it is expected to slip into the “severe” category. The air quality index was 399 against 306 a day earlier.Watch Severe cold back in New Delhi after a day’s respite
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/dense-fog-to-continue-till-january-5-icy-cold-winds-set-to-drag-mercury-further-down-in-delhi/articleshow/96630569.cms