Delhi reels under cold wave, dense fog; relief likely soon

New Delhi, January 6

Delhi recorded a cold wave for the second day on the trot on Friday, with the minimum temperature at Ayanagar in southwest Delhi plunging to a numbing 1.8 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.

A dense layer of fog persisted over northwest India, and adjoining central and eastern parts of the country, hitting road and rail traffic movement.

At least 26 trains were delayed by one to 10 hours due to the foggy weather, a railways spokesperson said.

The Safdarjung observatory logged a minimum temperature of four degrees Celsius against three degrees Celsius on Thursday, 4.4 degrees on Wednesday and 8.5 degrees on Tuesday.

The weather stations at Lodhi Road, Ayanagar and Ridge in Delhi recorded minimum temperatures of 3.8 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees and 3.3 degrees, respectively.

On Thursday, Delhi logged a minimum temperature of three degrees Celsius — the lowest in January in two years — making it cooler than several hill stations.

The cold snap is straining power grids and posing challenges to the homeless and animals.

The Palam observatory, near the Indira Gandhi International Airport, recorded a visibility level of 200 metres at 5.30am.