As Delhi continues to shiver under the extreme cold wave condition for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow and orange warnings in most of parts of the Northwest India.

Safdarjung in Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 2.6°C on Tuesday, while Palam recorded a minimum temperature of 6.0°C and Ayanagar recorded a minimum temperature of 3.2°C.

The minimum temperature in Delhi is likely to hover around 3 degrees Celsius today, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD). This is slightly higher than the 2.4 degrees recorded on Tuesday. The minimum temperature in Lodi Road area in the national capital had settled at 2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

Light rain is also expected in Delhi on January 19. The IMD predicted "partly cloudy sky, moderate to dense fog in the morning, possibility of very light rain/drizzle towards night".

Meanwhile, parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are on orange and yellow alert — likely to witness severe cold wave. In Punjab, Gurdaspur, Firozpur, Muktsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda are on orange alert. Districts such as Fazilka, Barnala, Sangrur, Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib are on yellow alert.

In Haryana, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Rewari, Sonipat and Hisar are on orange alert, while Ambala, Kurukshetra, Bhiwani and Palwal are on yellow alert. Most parts of Uttar Pradesh are on yellow alert.

On Tuesday, Churu in Rajasthan recorded a minimum temperature of -1.2°C, while Sikar recorded a minimum temperature of -1.5°C. Meanwhile, Narnaul in Haryana recorded a minimum temperature of 0.5°C, while Hisar recorded a minimum temperature of 2.0°C, according to the IMD.

Several flights have been canceled and six trains are running late in the Northern Railway region due to fog, said the Indian Railways on Wednesday.

(Credit: ANI)

The cold wave situation is predicted to improve from Thursday, January 19, and the mercury level will go up mainly under the influence of western disturbance. The IMD had earlier said the minimum temperatures are expected to fall further by about 2 degree Celsius over many parts of northwest India till January 17 morning. However, no significant change is likely till January 18. It may rise by 4-6 degrees Celsius during January 19-21.

According to weather experts, an active western disturbance, which brings winter rain, is very likely to affect northwest India from January 21 to 25, News 18 reported.

“Under its influence, light to moderate hailstorm was likely at isolated places over Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan on January 23 and 24," IMD said.

Meanwhile, heavy snowfall is predicted Himachal Pradesh's Shimla and other parts of the state in the coming week. Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti recorded the lowest min temperature of -11 degrees Celsius. There will be a drop in temperature in the coming days, said S Paul, Director, IMD, Shimla.

First Published:Jan 18, 2023 9:04 AM IST