North India Gripped by Severe Cold Wave; Delhi Shivers, Dal Lake Freezes

North India is experiencing a severe cold wave, with Delhi recording 3.8°C and 'very poor' air quality. Kashmir's iconic Dal Lake has frozen as temperatures dropped to minus 7.5°C in Shopian during the 'Chilla-i-Kalan' period. Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh are also reeling under sub-zero or near-zero temperatures, causing widespread dense fog. The India Meteorological Department has declared cold wave conditions across the region.

A severe cold wave has enveloped large parts of North India, causing temperatures to plummet and widespread dense fog. Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees Celsius, significantly below normal, with its Air Quality Index deteriorating to a 'very poor' 354. Specific areas like Safdarjung, Palam, and Lodhi Road also registered notably low temperatures, and Jahangirpuri reported the worst air quality at 420 AQI.Simultaneously, Kashmir is under the grip of 'Chilla-i-Kalan,' a 40-day period of extreme cold, leading to the freezing of parts of Dal Lake and several other water bodies. Shopian in south Kashmir was the coldest at minus 7.5 degrees Celsius, while Srinagar registered minus 5.2 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) anticipates a western disturbance affecting Kashmir's weather from January 16.Rajasthan also experienced bone-chilling conditions, with Lunkaransar in Bikaner district recording a low of 1.4 degrees Celsius and most parts staying below 5 degrees Celsius. Haryana saw Hisar at a frigid 0.5 degrees Celsius, while Punjab reported temperatures as low as 3.2 degrees Celsius in Bathinda and Faridkot. Chandigarh recorded 3.8 degrees Celsius after its coldest night of the season at 2.8 degrees Celsius. The IMD declares cold wave conditions when minimum temperatures fall 4.5 to 6.4 degrees below normal, highlighting the severity of the current weather spell across the entire northern region of India.