Mercury drops even lower, Delhi sees 1.7 degrees Celsius
The maximum temperature recorded Saturday was 13.3 degrees Celsius. Very dense fog was also seen in areas, especially in Palam, where visibility dropped to 0 metres. At Safdarjung, visibility was 100 metres.
By: Express News Service | New Delhi |
Updated: December 30, 2019 8:42:24 am
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At Red Fort, Saturday. Dense fog was witnessed in several parts of the capital. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
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Low cloud cover, cold winds and a fall in night time temperatures caused the mercury to drop to the season’s lowest reading in Delhi Saturday, with a minimum temperature of 2.4 degrees Celsius. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature was even lower in parts of the city. Lodhi Road had a reading of 1.7 degrees Celsius, and Aya Nagar 1.9 degrees Celsius.
The maximum temperature recorded Saturday was 13.3 degrees Celsius. Very dense fog was also seen in areas, especially in Palam, where visibility dropped to 0 metres. At Safdarjung, visibility was 100 metres.
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IMD officials said a cold spell has prevailed over the city for 15 consecutive days and temperatures may fall further Sunday and Monday with a cold wave forecast for most parts of Delhi-NCR. Such a cold spell was recorded previously in December 1997, of 13 consecutive days. The record has been broken this December.
This month is also slated to be the second coldest December in 118 years since 1901, an IMD official said. The coldest thus far has been December 1973, which had an average maximum temperature of 17.3 degrees Celsius. The average maximum temperature recorded this month so far is 19.18 degrees Celsius.
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All figures in °C
Two flights were cancelled and six delayed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, where visibility ranged from 0-50 metres Saturday morning, a spokesperson for the airport said. A Northern Railways official said 24 trains were also running late due to poor visibility in the city.
R K Jenamani, director of IMD’s National Weather Forecasting Centre, said, “Because of the low cloud cover, sunlight has not been able to reach the surface and warm it. Since this has persisted for a number of days, which is quite unusual, night time temperatures have fallen as well.”
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He added that the low cloud cover stretches from Pakistan to Bihar, and the conditions that are leading to its creation include low temperatures and calm winds.
The IMD has forecast that dense to very dense fog will be seen in the city Sunday and Monday and cold wave conditions would prevail. The severity of the cold weather is expected to reduce from December 31.
Officials said that under the influence of an approaching western disturbance, the wind speed is expected to pick up by Tuesday. Parts of Delhi-NCR may also witness light rain from late evening on December 31 to January 2. A hailstorm is expected in parts of NCR on January 1 and 2.
