Delhi's Cold Wave Hits 6.4°C: IMD Warns of Rain and Chills for Himachal Pradesh and Beyond!

Delhi experienced a chilly Thursday morning with temperatures plummeting to 6.4°C amid dense fog, a noticeable decline from the previous range of 8 to 11 degrees. The weather shift has added to the city's wintry atmosphere.

The cold wave has been growing stronger across a significant portion of northern India since Wednesday. The night temperatures in the Kashmir Valley have dipped below freezing, while certain areas in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are nearing the icy point, and the temperature in Delhi has also seen a decline.

On Thursday morning, the foggy conditions in Delhi led to a notable decrease in temperature, with the mercury plummeting to 6.4 degrees Celsius. This marks a departure from the warmer conditions that the city experienced over the previous two days, where temperatures ranged between 8 and 11 degrees Celsius.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the recorded temperature in Delhi was 6.4 degrees Celsius at 5:30 am on Thursday. The IMD further predicted that today's minimum temperature would hover around 5 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is anticipated to peak at approximately 21 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi has remained in the 'poor' category, consistent with the readings from the previous day. The Central Pollution Control Board indicated an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 287 at 6 am, reflecting the ongoing pollution concerns in the capital.

Additionally, forecasts from the IMD suggest that rain and snowfall are likely in specific regions of northwest India later this week, attributed to a western disturbance. The weather monitoring agency disclosed in its Wednesday bulletin that minimum temperatures in northwest India could drop by around 2 degrees Celsius within the next 24 hours, followed by an increase of 2-4 degrees thereafter.

The weather department has alerted that cold wave conditions are expected in isolated areas of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on Thursday and Friday, with Rajasthan following suit on Friday and Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh on Friday and Saturday.

In Delhi, what started as a sunny afternoon on Wednesday transitioned into a much cooler Thursday morning. Surrounding regions such as Noida and Ghaziabad also experienced foggy weather. The temperature in Delhi notably dropped to around 6.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday morning, a significant drop from the previous days' temperatures that were resting between 8 and 11 degrees Celsius around the same time.

As for the air quality, Delhi's AQI registered at 299 at 7 am on Thursday, categorizing it as 'poor.' The classification system breaks down as follows: an AQI from 0 to 50 is regarded as 'good,' 51 to 100 as 'satisfactory,' 101 to 200 as 'moderate,' 201 to 300 as 'poor,' 301 to 400 as 'very poor,' and 401 to 500 as 'severe.'

Regarding conditions in Himachal Pradesh, numerous areas within this hilly state are grappling with severe cold, particularly in Tabo within the Lahaul and Spiti district, which recorded a frigid nighttime temperature of minus 13.6 degrees Celsius. According to officials cited by a news agency, there is potential for snowfall in the mid to high elevations on Saturday and Sunday. A yellow warning has been issued by the weather department for districts including Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, and Mandi for Thursday.

In Jammu and Kashmir, after a brief period of respite, the chill has intensified once more in the Kashmir Valley as of Wednesday, with night temperatures falling below freezing. The minimum temperature in Srinagar was noted at minus 1 degree Celsius, which is a slight decrease from the prior night's 0.9 degrees. The city, however, enjoyed a clear, sunny morning beforehand. Gulmarg reported an even lower temperature, reaching minus 9.8 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest location in the valley at that time.