‘Don’t drink alcohol, get indoors’, says IMD as North India braces for severe cold wave

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which has predicted a severe cold wave condition in many parts of North India, said that drinking alcohol at home or year-end parties won’t be a good idea.

“Don’t drink alcohol. It reduces your body temperature,” an advisory from the IMD said.

“Get indoors. Eat vitamin-C-rich fruits and moisturize your skin regularly to counter the effects of severe cold,” the advisory further said.

In its latest impact-based advisory, the IMD said “severe” cold wave is expected over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and northern Rajasthan from December 29.

Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the regional forecasting centre of the IMD, said the mercury will increase slightly on Sunday and Monday under the influence of a fresh western disturbance affecting the upper reaches of the Himalayas, but the relief will be short-lived.

He further said that after the western disturbance moves away and under the influence of the consequent strengthening of cold and dry north-westerly or northerly lower level winds, “cold wave” to “severe cold wave” conditions are likely to re-establish over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh from December 29.

According to IMD, a ‘cold day’ or ‘severe cold day’ is considered when the minimum temperature is under 10 degrees and the maximum temperature is 4.5 degree C or 6.4 degree C below normal. A cold wave occurs in plains when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below, and is 4.5 notches lesser than the season’s normal for two consecutive days.

Last Sunday, the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for national capital Delhi, recorded a minimum of 3.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest this season so far.