New Delhi [India], January 29: Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.6°C at 5:30 am on Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). This follows Tuesday’s low of 6.6°C, the lowest in the past four days.
As temperatures continued to drop, many homeless people sought refuge in night shelters across the city. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has set up 235 pagoda tents to provide shelter, with night shelters established at various locations, including AIIMS, Lodhi Road, and Nizamuddin flyover.
Meanwhile, the city’s air quality worsened, reaching the “very poor” category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 327 at 8 am, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The previous day, Delhi’s AQI was recorded at 258, placing it in the “poor” category.
The AQI scale is categorized as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe).
The IMD has forecasted foggy conditions for the next four days, with the minimum temperature expected to remain between 7-11°C.
Cold weather has also impacted daily life in Jammu and Kashmir, with many areas seeing temperatures drop to single digits. Srinagar recorded 3.2°C at 5:30 am, while other areas, including Gulmarg (3.8°C), Pahalgam (0.8°C), and Banihal (5°C), also experienced cold temperatures.
According to the IMD, a cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature falls to 10°C or less in the plains, and 0°C or less in hilly regions.