Delhi wakes up to season's coldest morning at 4.2 degrees; trains delayed, flight ops hit
PTC News Desk: Delhi recorded its coldest January morning of the season on Saturday, with the temperature dipping to 4.2°C, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The steep fall came after unexpected rain on Friday, which had already cooled the city and nearby regions.
The IMD has predicted that dense fog will continue in the early mornings and late nights, and daytime temperatures will stay low because of weak sunlight.
Meanwhile airlines have issued an advisory as dense fog sharply reduced visibility, particularly around the Delhi airport runway area.
“Operations are running under CAT III conditions, and visibility fluctuations may cause delays and cancellations,” a spokesperson for the airport said. Airlines including Air India and IndiGo urged passengers to check flight status before leaving for the airport. Both carriers offered rescheduling or refunds for disrupted flights. Ground staff have been deployed across terminals to assist travellers, with operations expected to stabilise gradually as weather improves.
The weather body added that Friday’s minimum temperature of 4.6°C was 2.3°C below the usual average, making it the coldest morning of this winter so far.
“Overnight, the mercury dipped to 4.2 degrees, slightly lower than Friday’s minimum,” the IMD said, adding that cold day conditions are likely at isolated places across Delhi-NCR, accompanied by moderate to dense fog during morning and late-night hours.
Cold wave conditions are likely to continue in parts of north and northwest India in the coming days, though a severe cold wave has not been forecast yet.
Delhi last saw similar temperatures on December 4 and 5, 2023, when the mercury dropped to 5.6°C, and on December 1, when it reached 5.7°C. On Saturday, dense fog covered the city, mixing with smog and significantly reducing visibility, especially near the airport runway.
- With inputs from agencies
