Grey skies, bitter cold: Delhi’s Twin Crisis Deepens; UP, Uttarakhand to Assam also Badly affected

Grey skies, bitter cold: The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and surrounding areas has reached 391, making breathing difficult. More than half of Delhi's 40 monitoring stations are in the 'severe' category. The Meteorological Department has issued a cold wave and fog warning for Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and North Rajasthan until December 30. Delhi Airport has issued an advisory for passengers to avoid inconvenience due to dense fog. Additionally, fog warnings have also been issued for Assam, Meghalaya, and Odisha. Temperatures in North India are expected to rise gradually in the coming days. According to the CPCB, Delhi's overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 391 at 6 AM. Anand Vihar recorded 445, ITO 403, Wazirpur 433, Rohini 424, and Patparganj 424.

Also Read: Delhi-NCR shrouded in toxic smog, GRAP-4 restrictions implemented, AQI crosses 350 in many places

NCR also in bad shape

Besides Delhi, air quality in surrounding areas is also alarming. In Ghaziabad, Indirapuram and Vasundhara recorded AQI of 394 and 429 respectively, Noida Sector-125 and Sector-1 recorded 414 and 443, and Gurugram Sector-51 and Vikas Sadan recorded 355 and 304.

Cold wave in Punjab-Haryana, Delhi

According to the Meteorological Department, a cold wave is likely to continue in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and North Rajasthan until December 30. 'Cold day' conditions prevail in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. The minimum temperature in Delhi is being recorded between 8 and 11 degrees Celsius, while in Ahmedabad it is around 15 degrees. Dense fog conditions are expected to continue in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh until December 31st.

Snowfall predicted in Uttarakhand

Meanwhile, the meteorological department has predicted light snowfall in Uttarakhand on December 30th and 31st in areas above 3500 meters. Light rain is also possible in the plains during this period. Districts like Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar are currently experiencing dense fog, while Dehradun is experiencing clear and warm weather during the day. Fog is also expected in the Jammu division and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

Delhi Airport issues advisory

Due to the weather conditions, the Delhi Airport administration issued a passenger advisory at 7 AM to minimize inconvenience for travelers. Reduced visibility due to dense fog is feared to affect road and rail traffic. Also Read: 'Close toll booths in Delhi...', Supreme Court suggests to MCD-NHAI on rising pollution

Summary

The Meteorological Department has also issued a fog warning for states like Assam, Meghalaya, and Odisha until January 1st. However, the good news is that temperatures are expected to gradually rise in North India in the coming days.