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New Delhi: As Northern India braces for the winter season, swift changes in weather patterns are being experienced across the region. Delhi-NCR witnessed coldest morning of this season with temperature dipping to 3.9 degrees celsius. Road, rail and air traffic were affected also due to dense fog.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said it is the lowest minimum temperature in the last five years.
Due to zero visibility train services impacted, 23 Delhi-bound trains were delayed by one to six hours due to weather-related conditions in Delhi and different states, according to railways.
Delhi (Palam) Airport (VIDP) is continue to report 0 m visibility in very dense fog conditions at 0730 hrs IST of today as shown in attached figure, no significant change is expected during next 2 hours.
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) January 12, 2024
The adverse weather conditions affected travel not only in Delhi but also in various states. Residents of Delhi woke up to a cold and foggy morning, with the minimum temperature hovering around 3.8 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season’s average. The IMD forecasts a maximum temperature of approximately 18 degrees Celsius for the day.
Subsequently, zero visibility was witnessed at Delhi (Palam) Airport due to very dense fog conditions while Safdarjung Airport reported 200 m visibility in dense fog conditions on Friday morning. Apart from Delhi, the visibility was recorded below 500 m in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh including Gwalior and Malda, Gangetic West Bengal, Assam, parts of Punjab, and Rajasthan’s Ganganagar, as per IMD data.
Since the city is experiencing one of its coldest winters ever, demand for electricity is expected to increase. The city’s reliance on electric heating is a common phenomenon during this cold wave, not just in Delhi but other areas too facing similar weather conditions. As temperatures continue to remain low, discoms are anticipating a further increase in power demand, which is estimated to reach 5700 MW this winter.
