Certain areas of Delhi experienced light rainfall on Wednesday, with the city expected to encounter thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph later in the day.
Central Delhi, including the vibrant Connaught Place market, witnessed a brief spell of rain. The weather office forecasts light rain or thundershowers along with gusty winds in the evening or night, with the drizzle expected to alleviate the foggy conditions in the capital.
Earlier in the day, a dense layer of fog blanketed the national capital, causing disruptions to flight and train operations. Indira Gandhi International Airport reported zero visibility at 6:30 am, persisting until 9 am. Flight diversions and delays were reported, with at least three flights being diverted due to adverse weather conditions.
The challenging visibility conditions extended to the railway sector, with several trains running behind schedule due to the “very dense” fog.
Weather variations are anticipated to persist until February 3, attributed to a western disturbance, with additional changes foreseen thereafter, as mentioned by a senior official.
On Wednesday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7.3 degrees Celsius, slightly below the seasonal average. Notably, the average maximum temperature in the city for this month until January 30 was reported at 17.7 degrees Celsius, the lowest in 13 years, according to official data until Tuesday. Simultaneously, the average minimum temperature during the same period was recorded at 6.2 degrees Celsius, the second lowest in 13 years.
At 8 am, the Air Quality Index (AQI) registered in the ‘very poor’ category, with a reading of 370. According to the AQI scale, a range between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
(With PTI inputs)
