Delhi weather update: Temperature drop alert amid rising COVID-19 cases, pollution

Delhi Winter Update: Amid rising COVID-19 cases, temperatures are set to fall in the national capital in the coming days. India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist RK Jenamani said that the western disturbances would cause temperatures in Delhi to fall starting today (Monday), with the decline expected to be 3 to 4 degrees Celsius. According to the seven-day weather forecast updated on the IMD website on Sunday, the maximum temperature in the national capital would be 26 degrees Celsius on Monday, while the minimum temperature is expected to go as low as 12 degrees, while the condition would remain generally foggy.

Over the week, the maximum temperature is expected to rise to 28 degrees Celsius. However, the minimum temperature is likely to further decline to 9 degrees Celsius, with the IMD predicting this temperature to remain consistent from Wednesday till Saturday. The city would remain foggy through the week.

Last month, IMD Director-General of India Mrutyunjay Mohapatra had said that this year, the winter would remain colder due to the prevalence of the La Nina conditions or the presence of low temperatures in the northern part of the country.

This stands true as the temperature in Delhi has already started going below it was last year. October 2020 was the coldest one the national capital had seen in over half a century. Meanwhile, November 2019 had a minimum temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, which has already been breached as the national capital witnessed a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

On the other hand, the pollution level in Delhi has been on the rise, as it usually is this time of the year due to multi-effect of stubble burning in neighbouring agricultural states, settled down winds due to cold, the immense traffic emissions, as well as the firecrackers during festivals. The air quality in Delhi remains “very poor”, and this is expected to prevail over the next couple of days as well. While the city saw light rain on Sunday, it did not do much to settle the dust and pollutants in the air, and the fog mixed with the pollution, is likely to severely impact the visibility in the national capital.