Chilly Delhi: The Cold You Can Feel, But Not (Yet) Official

There’s no denying it; Delhi is properly feeling the winter chill these days. That unmistakable nip in the air, the kind that makes you instinctively pull your scarf tighter and dream of a hot cup of chai, has truly settled in.

Just yesterday, the mercury, you see, was stubbornly hovering in the low single digits. Our trusted weather station at Safdarjung recorded a minimum of 5.6 degrees Celsius, and over at Palam, it was just a touch colder at 5.3 degrees. Now, for this time of year, that’s quite a bit below the usual comfort zone, wouldn't you agree? It definitely makes those early mornings a bit more… bracing.

But here’s a little quirk in the tale: despite how genuinely chilly it feels, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) hasn’t actually issued a "cold wave" alert. It’s funny, isn't it, how there are official definitions for even something as universally understood as 'cold'? Their criteria are quite specific, actually. For an official cold wave, the minimum temperature needs to plunge to 4 degrees Celsius or even lower. Or, if it’s somewhere between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius, it also has to be a whopping 4.5 degrees below the normal average for that specific date. Thankfully, or perhaps not so thankfully depending on your cold tolerance, Delhi hasn’t quite met those stringent requirements yet. So, technically speaking, we’re in a state of 'very cold' rather than 'cold wave'.

Looking ahead, the forecast for Sunday offers a glimmer of mild relief with clear skies. We're expecting the minimum to stay put around 6 degrees Celsius, while the daytime maximum might pleasantly reach about 22 degrees. But don't stash away those heavy sweaters just yet! The IMD is predicting that by around January 17th, the minimum temperature could very well dip further, potentially hitting that 4-degree mark. So, the truly biting cold might still be saving its grand entrance.

Oh, and a heads-up for Monday morning: brace yourselves for the possibility of dense fog blanketing various parts of North India. Driving might get a little tricky, so do take care. And speaking of air, our perennial concern, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was unfortunately sitting at a "very poor" 369 on Saturday evening. It's never a great number, is it? The good news, however, comes from SAFAR, the system that tracks air quality. They’re cautiously optimistic that things might improve to "poor" by Monday, thanks to some more favorable wind speeds that should help disperse those pesky pollutants. Fingers crossed!

So, there you have it. While Delhi might not be officially in a cold wave, it certainly feels like winter has well and truly arrived. Time to keep those warm clothes handy, perhaps invest in an extra blanket, and maybe even indulge in a few more hot beverages. Stay warm, everyone!