Locals Resort to Bonfires as Mercury Plummets Further
In North India, including cities such as Kanpur, Aligarh, Prayagraj, Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, the winter chill persists, casting a veil of dense fog on Monday.
As temperatures dropped even lower, residents gathered around bonfires for warmth on the streets.
The India Meteorological Department reported that visibility at 8:30 am on Monday was virtually zero in Agra and Prayagraj in UP and Gwalior in MP. Earlier at 5:30 am, visibility in various regions was as follows: Varanasi-200, Lucknow-500, Gwalior-0, Satna-500, Patna and Purnea-500 each, Jharsuguda and Puri-500, and Nagpur-500.
In the national capital, Delhi, the morning temperature on Monday was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius, with visibility dropping to 125 meters in several areas. Most parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) also experienced low visibility.
On Sunday, the minimum temperature in Delhi settled at 9.1 degrees Celsius, prompting many to seek refuge in night shelters across the city.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering around 400, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
In response to the challenging conditions, all non-essential construction work has been prohibited in the Delhi-National Capital Region.
