 "IMD weather today: Moderate rain in Delhi NCR, orange alert in other states")
Weather Today: With cold conditions intensifying, some regions of northern India have been reeling under severe cold, with temperatures in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir falling below freezing point. Light rain fell on Delhi on Monday morning as the nation's capital was engulfed in dense fog.
Due to an oncoming western disturbance, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert, signifying heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in numerous states in northern India. This winter, the IMD has also forecasted below-normal cold wave days in northwest India. Over the past few days, the cold wave has been tearing through the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.
IMD weather 2024: Delhi temperature
Temperatures on Monday morning dropped as a blanket of fog enveloped Delhi after the nation's capital was hit by a cold wave. After witnessing light rain, the nation's capital the city had a chilly morning with a minimum temperature of 7.0 degrees Celsius. The meteorological office's earlier forecasted an overcast sky and light rain for Monday, which was predicted to have temperatures between 24 and 7 degrees Celsius.
IMD weather forecast 2024: Rainfall alert
Over the next seven days, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana are expected to see severe cold temperatures and heavy rainfall, according to the weather service. The districts of Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, and Mandi in Himachal Pradesh are under an orange alert, according to the IMD.
Isolated rains are predicted for areas of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi-NCR during the course of the next few days. In Punjab, certain areas of Chandigarh are expected to experience fog and mild rain.
In the meantime, the IMD has predicted heavy fog and light rain for the districts of East and West Medinipur, Hooghly, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah, and North and South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.
IMD update 2024: AQI in Delhi
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) was 403 at 7 am and stayed in the "severe" category.
Anand Vihar registered an AQI of 439, while 456 was recorded at Ashok Vihar, 473 at Bawana, 406 at CRRI Mathura Road, and 430 at Narela. AQI values fall into one of the following categories: acceptable (0 to 50), satisfactory (51 to 100), moderate (101 to 200), poor (201 to 300), extremely poor (301 to 400), and severe (401 to 500). Following the decline in air quality, GRAP stage IV measures have been in place throughout the NCR since December 16.