Published: Less than 50 min ago
Updated: Less than 20 min ago
Unusual cold and impenetrable fog are currently affecting northern India.
In Delhi, schools are extending their winter vacations and people are being asked not to venture out.
And it looks like it will get worse – meteorologists are warning of an extreme cold wave in the coming days.
This spring, India was paralyzed by extreme heat with temperatures over 40 degrees.
Now the situation is extreme in the other direction in the northern parts of the country.
It is normal for the season for the temperature to drop to 6–7 plus degrees for a short period.
If the temperature drops below 4 plus degrees, it is counted as a cold wave. Last week it was 1.9 plus degrees in the capital New Delhi.
Freezing weather forecast: “Wow!”
And those who read the weather forecast for the coming week have had a real cold shock.
– I have never in my entire career seen such low temperatures in a forecast. Freezing −4 to +2 on the plains. Wow! writes meteorologist Nevdeep Dahiya on Twitter.
He adds that the fog can play a decisive role in the temperatures both during the day and at night.
Other forecasts point to higher, but still unusually chilly temperatures, with minus three degrees being the coldest.
But if it turns out to be the cold snap that is predicted, northwest India could have its coldest January ever.
The national weather agency IMD has issued a warning across several states from Monday to Wednesday.
People are advised not to venture out unnecessarily.
In Jammu and Kashmir, in the far north where snow is not unusual, it can be 6 degrees below zero.
Chaos for flights and trains
For northerners used to the cold, it is hard to imagine that a few minus degrees paralyze an entire city.
But in recent weeks, Delhi and its 20 million residents have struggled with some of its coldest days on record. Times of India.
The cold and the thick fog have put everyday life on hold. Hundreds of flights and dozens of trains have been delayed, causing chaos at airports and train stations.
In pictures, people are seen wrapping themselves in thick blankets to keep the cold out.
From the highest levels of government come calls to stay indoors as much as possible until temperatures rise.
The concern: More people may get sick
All private primary schools in Delhi have extended the winter vacation by a week. And schools in many other parts of North India also remain closed due to the cold.
The city is also asking people to use caution when driving through the dense fog that has blanketed the city.
The cold is also a clear health concern, especially in Delhi where air pollution problems are often at their worst during the winter months, reports BBC.
It is particularly difficult for the giant city’s many homeless people, who often sleep along roads and at train stations.