New Delhi: The national capital was hit by bad weather and a cold wave early on Monday, which included a drop in temperature and chilly winds.

At 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Delhi measured 11.4 degrees Celsius, according to statistics from the India Meteorological Department.

The MeT Department has forecast that the day’s lowest temperature would be 11 degrees Celsius, with a high temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius.

The IMD did, however, also forecast a “generally cloudy sky with light rain” for Monday in the city.

Due to the continued bad weather, a large number of homeless persons sought safety in night shelters.

All of the beds in a night shelter at Yamuna Bazar, close to Kashmere Gate and AIIMS, were full despite the freezing temperatures.

Additionally, 235 pagoda tents have been erected by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to house the homeless. AIIMS, Lodhi Road, and the Nizamuddin flyover are among the locations in the national capital where night shelters have been erected.

Residents of the capital were spotted congregating around bonfires in reaction to the cold weather, and as the temperature continued to drop, some sought refuge in night houses.

As the temperature drops and a thick layer of fog covers the city, residents of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, seek shelter in night shelter houses.

As of 6 a.m., the Central Pollution Control Board’s statistics showed that the national capital’s air quality remained in the “very poor” category, with an AQI of 316.

A score of zero to fifty is regarded as “good,” 51 to 100 as “satisfactory,” 101 to 200 as “moderate,” 201 to 300 as “poor,” 301 to 400 as “very poor,” and 401 to 500 as “severe.”

Following a notable improvement in the air quality index (AQI), the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) annulled the Stage-III steps under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR on Sunday.

However, authorities said on Sunday that Stage I and Stage II precautions would continue to be in place.

Following an assessment of the air quality data and the IMD/IITM projections, the Sub-Committee on GRAP made the decision after seeing a decreasing trend in AQI readings.

Delhi’s AQI has been steadily improving due to favorable weather and improved wind speed; it was measured at 339 at 4:00 PM and 335 at 5:00 PM, and the trend/prediction is that the AQI levels will continue to decline. According to the IMD/IITM Air Quality & Weather prediction, favorable weather conditions increase the possibility that Delhi’s AQI will stay in the “Poor” category for the next several days, according to a release.
In response to yet another spike in air pollution, the CAQM implemented Stage-III limitations under the GRAP across the Delhi-NCR area on Friday. GRAP Stage-III was already removed on December 27.

Based on the severity of the Air Quality Index (AQI), Delhi-NCR has established a series of emergency measures known as the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat air pollution. In GRAP Stage III, unnecessary building is prohibited. Under Stage III, classes up to grade V must switch to hybrid mode. Wherever possible, parents and kids may choose online learning.