Cold wave to intensify in north, flights cancelled

Winter conditions in Delhi and adjoining areas of the National Capital Region (NCR) are set to intensify, with the weather department forecasting cold wave conditions in the coming days.

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Even as temperatures are expected to drop further, the city has seen a noticeable improvement in air quality on Friday.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave conditions are likely to prevail at isolated locations in Delhi between January 2 and 5.

A cold wave is declared when the minimum temperature falls between 4.5°C and 6.5°C below the normal average.

The IMD also said that dense to very dense fog is likely to persist during the night and early morning hours at many places in Delhi until January 6. Similar cold-wave conditions have been forecast for Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi till January 5.

Although temperatures continued to dip, air quality in the national capital showed marginal improvement.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi stood at 386 on Friday, according to pollution control authorities.

However, dense fog and smog reduced visibility across several parts of the city, disrupting daily life and prompting airlines to issue advisories.