Delhi faced reduced visibility due to dense fog, with temperatures dropping to 12°C and AQI reaching 230 on Sunday. Cold wave conditions and poor air quality continue across North India.
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The national capital woke up to a thin layer of fog on Sunday, significantly reducing visibility in several areas and adding to the chilly conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the minimum temperature was recorded at 12°C at 7 AM. Reduced visibility was particularly evident in Delhi's Safdarjung and Palam areas, where it dropped to 800 metres, while airport visibility plunged to 500 metres or less at 5:30 AM, ANI reports.
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The effects of dense fog extended beyond Delhi, with several states in North India experiencing even worse visibility conditions. In East Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj recorded zero visibility, Varanasi was at 50 metres, and Gorakhpur saw visibility at 400 metres. In Punjab, Amritsar recorded visibility of just 50 metres, while Chandigarh fared slightly better at 100 metres.
Cold conditions continue to grip parts of North India, with Leh recording an extreme low of -11.5°C, according to IMD data. Shimla experienced a minimum temperature of 4.4°C, while Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a range of freezing temperatures: Srinagar recorded 1°C, Gulmarg -6.4°C, Pahalgam -5.2°C, Kupwara 0.2°C, and Jammu 7.4°C.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi also raised concerns, as it was recorded at 230 at 9 AM on Sunday, categorised as "poor." As per ANI, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) stated that the AQI had worsened from Saturday when it was recorded at 179. Several areas in Delhi, including ITO (243), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (243), DU North Campus (216), and RK Puram (269), reported "poor" air quality levels.
Meanwhile, IMD has issued an Orange Alert for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and East Madhya Pradesh due to the likelihood of heavy rainfall, snowfall, and hailstorms. ANI quotes IMD scientist Soma Sen Roy explaining, "A strong and intense western disturbance has reached North India, interacting with moisture from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, resulting in thunderstorms across North, Central, and West India."
Cold wave conditions are expected to persist in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. According to IMD, temperatures in North India will drop further by 3-5°C in the coming days. "Severe cold wave conditions will prevail in several northern states," ANI further reports quoting Roy.
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