Code red warning for cold wave in Delhi, Haryana

A red-colour warning has been issued for Delhi and neighbouring states for Sunday after the temperature in the national capital dropped to 2.4 degree Celsius and is likely to plunge further.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued the red-colour warning, the highest level and a warning for the public to take action in adverse weather, for Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

After recording its lowest minimum temperature in over two decades on Saturday at 2.4 degrees Celsius, the temperature in Delhi’s Safdarjung observatory was at 3.4 degree celsius, 2.8 degree Celsius in Lodi Road area and 3.2 in Palam.

IMD said in a bulletin on Saturday night, that on Sunday cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely in many pockets over Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh, in some pockets over Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, in isolated pockets over Madhya Pradesh and cold wave conditions in some pockets over Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and in isolated pockets over Bihar, north Gujarat and Odisha.

It also said that cold day to severe cold day conditions in many pockets is very likely till Sunday over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh with some improvements on Sunday with cold day to severe cold day conditions at some pockets in these areas.

Cold day conditions are likely to prevail at isolated pockets over these regions on Monday and abate thereafter.

According to IMD, “severe cold wave” condition occurs when the minimum temperature is at 2ºC. A severe cold day is defined as one in which the maximum temperature is at least 6.4ºC below normal and the minimum temperature is under 10ºC.

“Severe cold wave and cold day conditions will continue for two more days. The minimum temperature on Sunday may drop further. We are expecting a marginal rise in temperature on December 31 and January 1, and rains from December 31 night, which is likely to relieve severe cold day conditions,” Kuldeep Shrivastava, the head of Regional Weather Forecasting Centre in Delhi, said.

Dense to very dense fog in isolated pockets in morning hours very likely till Sunday morning over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, north Madhya Pradesh and abate thereafter.

While Saturday was classified as a cold day by IMD, Sunday and Monday will be cold wave days. The maximum temperatures will start inching up from Sunday. IMD says on Monday the minimum temperature will be 3 degrees Celsius and the maximum will be 14 degrees Celsius.

The mean maximum temperature for December so far this year is 19.18ºC, making it almost certain that this December will be the second coldest in a century. The lowest mean maximum for December was recorded at 17.3ºC in 1997.