Pankaj Jain
New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) Cold weather intensified in Delhi on Saturday following rainfall a day earlier, with minimum temperatures falling.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 6°C in Aya Nagar, 6.8°C in Palam, and 7.6°C at Safdarjung. Visibility dropped to 400 metres at Palam and Safdarjung during the morning hours, , the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
In its weather bulletin, IMD forecast a further drop of 3-5°C in minimum temperatures over northwest India, including Delhi, over the next 24 hours, with conditions expected to remain largely unchanged for the following two days before gradually rising.
The IMD said the prevailing conditions are due to a well-marked low-pressure area, which is likely to bring light to moderate fairly widespread rainfall over the plains of northwest India, along with snowfall over the western Himalayan region. Isolated hailstorms, lightning and gusty winds are also likely on January 23.
The weather department said conditions are expected to improve significantly. However, another intense western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from January 26 to 28, causing isolated heavy rainfall and snowfall over the western Himalayan region on January 27.
The department has also issued warnings of dense to very dense fog during morning and night hours in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh between January 24 and 26, and dense fog at some places on January 23.
Similar fog conditions are likely in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim over the coming days.
Cold wave conditions are likely in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh on January 25 and 26, advising people to remain cautious as winter conditions tighten across north India, IMD said.
