New Delhi – Northern India ground to a halt this week as an intense and unrelenting cold wave brought sub-zero temperatures, dense fog, disrupted transportation, and misery to millions.
The residents in North India and the national capital don’t seem to be getting respite from the chilly weather conditions soon, as fog continues to grip the Delhi-NCR region on Friday morning amid the prevailing coldwave conditions. The maximum temperature was recorded several notches below normal in the region.
A layer of fog covered parts of Delhi on Friday as the city witnessed a dip in temperature. According to news agency ANI, several trains were delayed at Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station due to fog.
The extreme cold has already claimed over 100 lives this season across northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. “We are witnessing continuous days of intense cold the likes of which have not been felt in decades,” said Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Meteorology at Skymet Weather. Temperatures have plummeted as a result of icy winds from the snow-clad Himalayas to the north.
Homeless shelters have overflowed with people seeking refuge, but overcrowding poses risks of respiratory infections spreading given the COVID pandemic. Officials have urged caution heading into the weekend with temperatures expected to drop further at night. Frostbite and hypothermia are key concerns along with keeping regular medication like asthma inhalers accessible.
Weather models indicate partial relief from early next week as wind patterns shift, but northerly states must steel themselves for a harsher-than-average winter. “My only advice is to take it one day at a time,” said 80-year-old Ramandeep Singh, sipping piping hot tea to warm himself on a deserted Delhi road. “This too shall pass.”
