New Delhi [India]: Dense fog enveloped Delhi on Saturday morning as the city experienced a gripping cold wave. Many homeless individuals sought refuge in night shelters across the capital to escape the biting cold.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi recorded a temperature of 10.2°C at 5:30 am on Saturday, slightly higher than the 9.6°C recorded at the same time the previous day.
The city’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 385 as of 6:00 am. This marked a significant rise from 348 recorded yesterday morning. The Central Pollution Control Board classifies AQI levels from 301 to 400 as ‘very poor,’ while levels between 401 and 500 are categorized as ‘severe.’
With the dip in temperatures, night shelters like the one at Lodhi Road were fully occupied. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has set up 235 pagoda tents across the city, including areas near AIIMS, Lodhi Road, and Nizamuddin flyover, to accommodate the homeless during the winter.
In response to the cold, residents were seen huddling around bonfires or taking shelter in night homes.
Similar weather patterns were observed across North India on Saturday morning. Uttar Pradesh’s capital, Lucknow, recorded 11.4°C at 5:30 am, while Mainpuri was blanketed in dense fog.
In Himachal Pradesh, Shimla reported a rare weather phenomenon on Thursday, recording its highest-ever daytime January temperature at 21.6°C. This surpassed the previous record of 21.4°C set on January 30, 2006. Dr. Kuldeep Srivastava, Head of IMD Himachal Pradesh, noted, “If we look at the past few days, Shimla has seen clear skies, leading to a significant rise in both minimum and maximum temperatures. However, a fresh Western Disturbance is set to approach the region on the night of January 4, bringing heavy snowfall and rainfall across the state from January 5 to January 7.”
The IMD forecasts light to moderate rain and snowfall in areas such as Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur, with a possibility of rain and thundershowers in the plains adjoining Punjab and Haryana on January 6.
Jammu and Kashmir’s capital, Srinagar, recorded a temperature of -0.6°C at 5:30 am, reflecting the harsh winter conditions gripping the region.