Delhi continued to experience chilly weather on Monday, with the temperature holding steady at 4.5 degrees Celsius. The city’s minimum temperature had plummeted to 4.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday, a significant 3.1 degrees below the normal average. The maximum temperature recorded is 23 degrees Celsius against 23.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued cold wave warnings for Delhi and other northern states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.
The IMD has predicted a dense fog to envelop certain areas over the next three days, making it difficult for the residents to bear severe cold waves in the national capital. As the temperature plummets, the vulnerability of its homeless population without shelter surges. In response, night shelters are ramping up efforts to provide vital services and support to those in need.
For the unversed, A cold wave is officially declared in the plains when the minimum temperature dips to 4°C or lower, or when it drops by 4.5-6.4°C from the normal temperature.
Delhi’s air quality has also witnessed a sudden turn for the worse. The Air Quality Index slipped back into the ‘very poor’ category, recording 353 in West Delhi’s Pusa. This comes after the city’s air quality had briefly improved to ‘moderate’ levels at the start of December.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s air quality had begun to deteriorate on Sunday evening with an AQI of 307. This marked a significant decline from just hours earlier, when the AQI stood at 294, still within the ‘poor’ category but at its higher end.
The board has classified air quality as ‘Satisfactory’ with AQI between 51-100, ‘Moderate’ with 101-200, ‘Poor’ with 201-300, ‘Very Poor’ with 301-400 and ‘Severe’ above 400. With the current AQI reading, Delhi’s residents are advised to take necessary precautions to minimize their exposure to polluted air.
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