Even as winter deepened its hold over the national capital, Delhi recorded a marginal improvement in air quality on Tuesday, finally emerging from its most recent stretch of "very poor" conditions.
The city woke up to dense foggy skies and a sharp rise in chill, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a warning that a more intense cold snap is likely to sweep across northern and central India later this week. Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 293 on Tuesday, an improvement from 318 recorded a day earlier, though it remained firmly in the "poor" category.
Several monitoring stations continued to register "very poor" air quality, with major pollution hotspots Anand Vihar reporting 319 and Bawana recording 343. The capital had logged an AQI of 308 on Sunday, prolonging weeks of hazardous, smog-laden air that has enveloped residents.
The IMD has forecast a minimum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 25 degrees Celsius for Tuesday. However, it cautioned that the mercury is expected to drop further over the next two days, significantly intensifying the cold.
Cold Wave Conditions Grip Northern and Central India
Cold conditions continued unabated across northern states, with the Amarnath Yatra base camp in Jammu and Kashmir emerging as the coldest recorded spot in the region at minus 4.3 degrees Celsius.
The IMD stated that cold wave conditions are "very likely" in isolated pockets of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha from Tuesday through December 12. Minimum temperatures have already dipped noticeably in these states in recent days.
Large parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan recorded minimum temperatures between 3 and 7 degrees Celsius. A weak western disturbance is expected to bring partly cloudy skies over Rajasthan, along with a slight rise of 2–3 degrees in night temperatures in the coming days.
Also Read: Cold wave, pollution grip capital
Fresh Snowfall in Higher Reaches of Himachal Pradesh
A fresh cold wave swept through the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh, where Rohtang Pass and surrounding areas received fresh snowfall on Monday.
Authorities have officially closed the Manali-Leh highway beyond Darcha for the season, a standard winter measure due to treacherous road conditions caused by snow and ice. Officials said the route will remain shut until it reopens around May–June next year.
The Gramphoo-Losar road has also been closed to traffic. While the fresh snowfall has made roads slippery and restricted movement, it has brought cheer to local communities and tourism stakeholders anticipating the winter season.
Also Read: Kashmir shivers as cold wave returns
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