According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum daytime temperature in Churu on Tuesday was 18.8 degrees Celsius.
The whims of nature have given this quaint Rajasthan city an identity of its own. While the temperature in Churu at the peak of summer can go up to 50 degrees Celsius, the mercury drops below zero as winter takes hold of the city. The Met department warned of the mercury going further south in the coming days.
Surprisingly, parts of Delhi were colder than hill stations like Dharamshala and Nainital yesterday.
The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, logged a minimum temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius -- a notch below normal. The maximum temperature settled at 17.2 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal.
In comparison, the minimum temperature in Dehradun was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius, Dharamshala at 6.2 degrees Celsius, and Nainital at 7.2 degrees Celsius.
Meteorologists attributed the sharp drop in day temperatures to frigid north-westerly winds barrelling through the plains and reduced sunshine due to foggy weather.
The sun was blotted out in large swathes of northwest India as a dense to very dense fog prevailed in some parts of the National Capital Region, Haryana, Punjab, west Uttar Pradesh, and north Rajasthan.
IMD fog warning:
Due to prevailing light wind and high moisture in lower tropospheric levels, dense to very dense fog is very likely to continue over many parts of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh, and in isolated pockets over north Rajasthan during the next 24 hours. Its intensity and spread are likely to reduce for a brief period. However, dense fog in isolated pockets likely to continue over the above region during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Dense fog is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura during the next three days.
Minimum Temperature Forecast & Cold Wave/Cold Day Warning
A gradual rise in minimum temperatures by 2-4 degree Celsius is likely over the plains of northwest India during the next three days and fall by 2-4 degree Celsius thereafter. Fall in minimum temperatures by 3-5 degree Celsius likely over
many parts of East India during the next three days and no significant change thereafter.
No significant change in minimum temperatures is likely over Madhya Pradesh during the next 3 days and fall by 2-3 degree Celsius thereafter.
Cold wave/severe cold wave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over north Rajasthan during the next two days. Cold Wave Conditions in isolated pockets over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi during the next 24 hours.
Severe cold wave conditions are very likely in some parts of Punjab, Haryana,
Chandigarh, Delhi, and over West Uttar Pradesh on 28 December 2022.
