Delhi shivers at lowest temperature in last 5 years, fog delays 23 trains

New Delhi: The national capital shivered under cold wave conditions as the minimum temperature touched around 3.9 degrees Celsius on Friday. The dense fog caused travel disruptions - delayed as much as 23 trains.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported zero visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, attributing it to very dense fog conditions. The met department also said that the Delhi NCR has experienced the lowest minimum temperature in the last five years.

Due to dense fog, 23 trains bound for Delhi were delayed and a few of them were late by six hours. These trains include the Varanasi-Delhi Vande Bharat Express and Rajendranagar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express.

The adverse weather conditions affected travel not only in Delhi but also in various states. Residents of Delhi woke up to a cold and foggy morning, with the minimum temperature hovering around 3.9 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average.

The IMD forecasts a maximum temperature of approximately 18 degrees Celsius for the day. Additionally, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was reported to be in the 'very poor' category.

At the Anand Vihar area, PM2.5 levels remained in the 'very poor' category standing at 367 and PM10 reached 240 or ‘poor’. The Dwarka Sector 8 also witnessed PM2.5 levels at 310, the ‘very poor’ category while the PM10 was at 139, falling under the 'moderate' category, again.

Looking ahead, the IMD anticipates a maximum temperature of 19-20 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature ranging from 5 to 7 degrees Celsius throughout the upcoming week.
(With PTI, and IANS inputs)