Delhi Weather: Due to poor visibility, IMD issues a travel advisory and issues a red alert as dense fog envelops the nation’s capital
Delhi Weather: On Friday, December 19, Delhi was placed under a red warning by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Previously, Thursday, December 18, was the coldest day of the season in the city, with a high temperature of 20.1 degrees Celsius, 2.1 degrees below average, and a minimum temperature of 9 degrees Celsius. Daytime temperatures are exceptionally low for mid-December due to this extreme weather.
Although Delhi is under a red warning, the meteorological service has cautioned citizens to expect heavy fog and haze, especially in the early morning hours, as light breezes keep pollution trapped near the surface.
December’s lowest temperature ever recorded
The IMD statistics from Thursday showed that the afternoon temperature on Thursday was the lowest in December. The third-lowest maximum temperature to date was recorded in November at 24.3°C, while the second-lowest was recorded on December 4 at 23.7°C. However, meteorologists stressed that because both the maximum and minimum temperatures are still within thresholds, cold wave criteria have not been reached despite the decrease.
To put things in perspective, last year’s lowest recorded December midday temperature in Delhi was 14.6 degrees Celsius. In 2023, 2022, and 2021, temperatures dropped as low as 15.9 degrees Celsius, 15.6 degrees Celsius, and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively. The lowest temperature, which has remained at around 9 degrees Celsius—0.9 degrees higher than the average—has been the sole relief thus far.
The combination of low temperatures, heavy fog, and poor dispersion conditions will continue to make mornings difficult for commuters, particularly those leaving before daybreak, according to weather experts, even if there is no cold wave alarm.
Travel Advice for Passengers
In the meanwhile, early commuters’ visibility has been impacted by heavy fog. The visibility at the Delhi airport dropped to around 2,000 meters, and the fog continued throughout the night and early morning. According to airport officials on Friday, this has therefore compelled airport operators to introduce CAT-III procedures at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), raising the risk of aircraft delays and disruptions.