Chilled capital: Forecasts hint prolonged foggy conditions in Delhi-NCR

Delhi weather: They also show that Delhi will continue to face chilly days in the last week of January with no rain

Amidst an enduring spell of dense fog, residents of Delhi are grappling with days of limited visibility. The capital remains shrouded in thick fog, causing disruptions to numerous flights and trains. Now, current weather forecasts for Delhi suggest that relief from the haze might not be on the horizon anytime soon.

According to the seven-day forecast released by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi will continue to witness "shallow to moderate fog" at least till January 31.

Moreover, on January 26, when the country will celebrate its Republic Day with its iconic parade at the Kartavya Path, Delhi will have "moderate to dense fog" in the morning. In fact, alerts have been issued for Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and all parts of Delhi for the day.

 

The weather forecast also showed that Delhi and its surrounding cities may continue to experience "cold days" in its last week. A cold day is when a minimum temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius in plains and at or below 0 degrees Celsius in hilly regions.

So far, Delhi has experienced five cold days and five cold wave days in January. This is the highest in 13 years.

Power demand in Delhi at record high

The cold conditions in Delhi are also pushing up its power demand. According to reports, the capital touched its highest-ever daily winter power demand of 5,816 megawatts (MW) on January 22.

It was the sixth time in January this year that Delhi's winter power demand surpassed last year's peak of 5,526 MW recorded on January 6, 2023.

According to the data from the State Load Dispatch Centre, the highest demand for January 25 was hit at 10:14 am when it touched 5,537 MW.

Rainfall in first week of February

Notably, while the temperature remained chilly, Delhi continued to witness a shortfall of rain in January. Unusual to previous years, the capital has not received any rainfall in January this year.

Last year in January, Delhi received 20.4 mm of rain, more than the normal of 19.1 mm. In January 2022, the city received 88.2 mm of rain, more than the normal of 21.7 mm.

According to Skymet, the situation may improve next month. The first wave of western disturbance is expected to hit North India on January 25 followed by another on January 28. This could lead to light rainfall in the first week of February.