Delhi was colder than Dehradun and Nainital in Uttarakhand as biting cold and harsh weather conditions persisted in the national capital on Wednesday. The temperature in Delhi around 9 am was approximately 9 degrees Celsius, while in Dehradun and Nainital, the temperature was recorded at around 16 degrees.

Amritsar in Punjab was much colder at 5 degrees. The mercury in Manali and Leh dropped to -9 and -10 degrees Celsius, respectively, according to Skymet Weather service. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature in Delhi is expected to remain at 7 degrees Celsius.

Amid a cold wave in parts of northern India, Palam in Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.8°C while Safdarjung recorded a minimum temperature of 8.4°C, the IMD said.

At least 100 flights were delayed and some were canceled due to fog and low visibility at the Delhi Airport. "Due to bad weather (fog) for three days, over 100 flights are reported delayed from and to Delhi airport, some have also been diverted to the nearest airport," a Delhi airport official told ANI.

At least 14 trains to Delhi are running late by over an hour. Dense to very dense fog shrouded some parts of NCR, Haryana, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan.

In Punjab, Amristar is likely to witness a minimum temperature of 6°C and a maximum temperature of 15°C with fog/mist in the morning and a partly cloudy sky later. Most districts in the state are on orange alert, with the IMD predicting a cold wave in Amritsar, Faridkot, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Mansa, Jalandhar and Patiala.

Haryana, too, is on orange alert. The cold wave is predicted in Bhiwani, Sirsa, Rewari, Kaithal and Panchkula.

In Rajasthan, Churu recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 0.5°C on Tuesday. Apart from Churu, other districts, including Sri Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu and Hanumangarh, are likely to witness another cold wave on Wednesday.

Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital in Uttarkhand, and Kangra, Una, Bilaspur and Mandi in Himachal Pradesh will experience cold waves.

A cold day is when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius below average, and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees below normal. A severe cold day is a maximum of 6.5 degrees or more below average. The IMD declares a cold wave in the plains if the minimum temperature dips to four degrees Celsius or when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches below normal.

Brief relief from cold waves soon

Mahesh Palawat, vice president (meteorology and climate change) of Skymet Weather, said cold wave conditions in northwest India would abate from Wednesday under the influence of a fresh western disturbance. However, the relief is likely to be short-lived.

The IMD said earlier that the impact of an impending western disturbance might lead to brief relief from 'cold day', 'cold wave' and dense fog on December 29 and December 30, News 18 reported.

Weather experts said the relief would be short-lived as winds will turn north-westerly again, causing ‘cold wave' conditions and dense fog in the capital on December 31 and January 1.

"We can expect a brief respite with minimum and maximum temperatures likely to rise by 1-2°C. Around New Year's Eve, extreme cold may not set in, but temperatures will drop once again from January 1 or 2," Mahesh Palawat was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.

First Published:Dec 28, 2022 10:40 AM IST