Winter Chill Grips Delhi: Coldest Day Recorded, Night Shelters At Full Capacity

On Tuesday, Delhi witnessed its coldest day of the winter season, as the maximum temperature dropped to a two-year low of 13.4°C, six degrees below the normal range, according to the Meteorological Office. The minimum temperature on Wednesday morning was recorded at 7.1°C, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

A "yellow alert" has been issued for the national capital on Wednesday, with the expected maximum temperature around 16°C. The western disturbance affected parts of the northern plains, bringing drizzle to certain areas in the city. Delhi's air quality remained "very poor" with a reading of 343.

Neighboring Uttar Pradesh experienced even colder temperatures, with Kanpur and Agra recording minimum temperatures of 1.1 and 1.0°C respectively.

Night shelters in Delhi, designed for homeless individuals, were at full capacity due to the harsh weather conditions. These shelters provide blankets, beds, hot water, and food for those in need. A caretaker from a night shelter in Anand Vihar, Delhi, mentioned that a rescue team was deployed to bring people living on roadsides to these shelters.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted dense fog conditions in the morning hours in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, north Rajasthan, north Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and other parts of East and Northeast India from January 10 to 14. Cold wave conditions were expected to persist in parts of Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Ground frost conditions were predicted in Uttarakhand from January 10 to 12, with no major temperature change expected in the next 48 hours.

The IMD also mentioned the likelihood of light to moderate rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, and Lakshadweep islands over the next three days due to a cyclonic circulation in Southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian, along with a trough extending to south Gujarat at lower tropospheric levels.