North India Shivers as Mercury Drops, IMD Issues Yellow Alert for Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: North India is reeling under cold weather with temperatures plummeting across several states. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with a thin layer of fog enveloping parts of the national capital. On Monday, the minimum temperature stood at 8 degrees Celsius, while the maximum reached 20 degrees Celsius.

Residents of the national capital were seen gathering bonfires to combat the chill, while others took refuge in night shelter homes as temperatures continued to drop in Delhi.

In Rajasthan , the cold weather persisted, significantly impacting daily life due to the falling temperatures. In Bikaner, the temperature was recorded at 9 degrees Celsius, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Cold wave continues to affect the daily life of the people in Jammu and Kashmir, with temperatures dropping below zero in many areas. Srinagar recorded a temperature of -5.2 degrees Celsius at 5:30 am on Tuesday. Other recorded temperatures included -0.6 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg, - 6.8 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam, - 0.8 degrees Celsius in Banihal and - 4.6 degrees Celsius in Kupwara.

On Monday, Srinagar experienced a minimum temperature of -7 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 7 degrees Celsius, as reported by the IMD.

As per the IMD, a cold wave is considered when the minimum temperature of a station is

10 degrees Celsius or less for plains and 0 degrees Celsius or less for Hilly regions.

The IMD forecasts a severe cold wave in Jammu and Kashmir starting from December 24. Additionally, dense fog conditions and a cold wave are expected to prevail from December 23 to 25 in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana , Uttar Pradesh, and other states.
 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital was classified in the 'severe' category on Tuesday, with visibility limited by the fog. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI was recorded at 401 at 8 AM. On the previous day, the AQI also fell into the 'severe' category, measuring 403 at 7 AM.
 

Specific AQI readings included 417 in Alipur, 423 in Anand Vihar, 425 in RK Puram, and 402 at ITO.

An AQI rating is categorized as follows: 0-50 (good), 51-100 (satisfactory), 101-200 (moderate), 201-300 (poor), 301-400 (very poor), and 401-500 (severe). 

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