Minimum dips to 3.6°C, air nears 'severe' again

The season’s first cold wave engulfed Delhi on Saturday, pushing the minimum temperature down to 3.6°C, the lowest yet this winter, and draping the city in a thick blanket of fog that slashed the visibility and hindered mass transit once again.

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Pollution levels soared as well, with the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) at 4pm touching 399 — on the cusp of the hazardous “severe” category. This number worsened rapidly through the evening, hitting 433 at 11pm.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a dense fog will continue to drape the city for at least three more days and issued a “yellow alert”, which warns people to be prepared against unfavourable weather.

Saturday’s minimum was a drop from 3.9°C on Friday morning, with both temperatures four degrees below normal, said IMD officials.

The maximum temperature, meanwhile, was 18.1°C, two degrees below normal and lower than 19.3°C on Friday.

IMD declares a “cold wave” when the minimum temperature is 4.5°C or more below normal. The agency can also declare a cold wave in the plains when the minimum reading is below 4°C, as was the case with Delhi over Friday and Saturday.

Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at IMD, said the fog was now largely affecting lower reaches, meaning there is little cloud cover