Delhi bid farewell to January with its first notable rainfall, bringing a 2.8-degree Celsius drop in the maximum temperature and concluding what had been a dry and cold month. The rainfall, attributed to a western disturbance, accompanied a dense layer of fog, impacting air quality. Dense fog is anticipated to persist for the next two days, with the possibility of light to moderate rain on Thursday. The minimum temperature recorded was 7.3°C, and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 20°C for the remainder of the week.
The capital experienced its first significant rain of the year on Wednesday, reducing the maximum temperature to 18.6 degrees Celsius, as reported by the India Meteorological Department. This marked a departure from Tuesday’s 21.4°C.
January 2024 holds the record as the driest since 2016, with “trace” rainfall, representing a 100% deficit from the seasonal average of 19.1mm. Despite Wednesday’s rain, occurring after 8.30 am, there was a 100% deficit in the monthly average.
Moreover, January 2024 ranks as the second coldest January in 74 years since 1951, with an average maximum temperature of 17.7°C. The coldest January was in 2003, recording 17.6°C.
The rain on Wednesday was attributed to a western disturbance affecting the northern plains, accompanied by a “very dense” layer of fog in the early hours.
Data from Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, revealed 8.5mm of rain till 5:30 pm on Wednesday. However, the intermittent rain did little to disperse pollutants, contributing to a considerable deterioration in air quality. The Central Pollution Control Board reported a 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 392 (very poor) at 4 pm on Wednesday, compared to 357 (very poor) on Tuesday at the same time.
The dense fog severely impacted visibility, ranging from zero to 50 meters for nearly seven hours, causing disruptions to train and flight operations.
The IMD forecasts the continuation of dense fog, along with cloudy skies and drizzle in parts of Delhi through Thursday. A yellow alert has been issued for both Thursday and Friday, with the possibility of light to moderate rain on Thursday.
The minimum temperature on Wednesday dipped to 7.3°C, down from Tuesday’s 8.7°C. The IMD predicts that the maximum temperature will remain around 20°C for the rest of the week, with the minimum staying around 8°C or below. The Early Warning System for Delhi forecasts an improvement in AQI in the next few days, shifting from ‘poor’ on February 1 to ‘moderate’ by February 2.
Delhi experienced 128 hours of dense fog this winter (December and January), the highest duration since 2014-2015. The very dense fog started around 2:30 am and continued till 9:30 am on Wednesday, impacting visibility near Safdarjung and Palam.
Airport and railway authorities reported delays and disruptions to flights and trains due to poor visibility. Over 175 flights were delayed, six were diverted, and around 10 flights were canceled at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
