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Delhi Braces for Coldest New Year in Years, Rain Expected
NEW DELHI: Delhi residents are preparing to ring in the New Year under a blanket of bone-chilling cold, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting a high likelihood of rain on January 1st. This could be the first rainfall of the season.
The IMD predicts generally cloudy skies and light rainfall across the capital on New Year’s Day, with “cold day” conditions persisting. The minimum temperature recorded today was 6.4 degrees Celsius, slightly below normal. A cyclonic circulation over Punjab and Haryana is cited as the reason for the potential showers.
Visibility has been severely impacted by dense fog in recent days. On Wednesday, some areas reported as little as 50 meters visibility, causing disruptions to transportation. While visibility slightly improved later in the morning, the fog is expected to linger.
The IMD forecasts dense to very dense fog for the next five days in Delhi. An active western disturbance over northern Pakistan is expected to bring rain and snowfall to the Western Himalayan region, which could further impact Delhi’s weather.
“Cold day” conditions are declared when the minimum temperature dips below 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature remains significantly below normal.
Adding to the bleak forecast, meteorologist Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather Services warned that a cold wave could grip Delhi from January 3rd, with minimum temperatures potentially plummeting below 5 degrees Celsius. Cold, northerly winds from the Himalayan region are expected to sweep across the capital.
Dr. Naresh Kumar, a scientist at IMD, explained that dense to very dense fog has been observed over North India for the past two weeks. He mentioned the possibility of dense fog in some parts of Delhi tomorrow morning.
While New Year’s Day is expected to bring light rain, the IMD anticipates generally cloudy skies with the maximum temperature hovering between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature between 9 and 11 degrees Celsius.
First Piper 