Shallow fog envelops Delhi, minimum temperature dips

Shallow fog enveloped Delhi on Monday with the minimum temperature dipping to 8 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

However, the Air Quality Index in the national capital was recorded at 239 under the "poor" category.

"For the next three days, surface wind speed (calm to 12 km/h) and temperature (saximum 19-18 degrees Celsius; minimum 6-4 degrees) are likely to worsen the air quality. Mixing layer height is likely to be 1.0 km that helps dilution of pollutants," said System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research.

Meanwhile, the IMD predicted that due to light winds and high moisture near the surface over the Indo-Gangetic plains, dense to very dense fog is very likely in some pockets in Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh in the next 2-3 days and in isolated pockets over Bihar during the next four days.

Dense fog in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Assam and Tripura will prevail during the next 2-3 days, it said.

"Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions in isolated pockets is very likely over the northern parts of Rajasthan during January 1-3 and cold wave conditions thereafter. Cold wave conditions in isolated pockets over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during January 1-4; over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi during January 1-5 and over West Uttar Pradesh on January 2 and 3," the Department added.