IMD Paints National Capital Yellow! Cold Wave Conditions to Persist Over North India, Temp to Drop to 0 Degrees

Weather update: A yellow alert has been issued for Delhi by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) starting on Monday for a period of six days due to an approaching extreme cold wave in the national capital area.

Due to the current Western Disturbance, the lowest temperature will gradually rise by three to five degrees between January 19 and 20.

In its press release, the IMD stated that "cold wave to severe cold wave conditions very likely over many/some parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, thereafter in isolated pockets of east Rajasthan on 19th, Cold wave condition in isolated pockets also very likely over Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during 17th-19th; over Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Saurashtra, and Kutch on 17th and 18th January."

Severe Cold Wave Over North India 

From January 17 to January 19, several parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar may experience a cold wave. Up till January 18, the IMD predicted "dense to extremely dense fog" in a few scattered areas across Sikkim and West Bengal.

For the following 48 hours, the Northwest area, including Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, would experience "extreme cold wave" conditions.

Tuesday will see a further deterioration of the chilly weather with a 2-degree drop in the minimum temperature, with several areas of the region already experiencing sub-zero temperatures.

Over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi, as well as east Rajasthan, northwest Madhya Pradesh, and west Uttar Pradesh, the minimum temperature has decreased by 1-3°, with no appreciable change in the other northwest Indian states. Over Churu (West Rajasthan), the lowest minimum temperature was recorded at -2.5°C.

During the night and early morning, localized pockets of dense to extremely dense fog are highly possible. Dense fog is very likely over West Bengal and Sikkim in the Sub-Himalayas (17–19 January), Himachal Pradesh (17–19 January), Uttarakhand (17–19 January), Bihar (17–19 January), Odisha (17–19 January), Assam & Meghalaya (17–20 January), and Tripura (17–20 January) in the Sub-Himalayas (2023).