Delhi temperature dips to 4.6 on Sunday morning, Churu freezes at minus 2.6

Delhi witnessed the coldest winter day of this season on Sunday morning as the temperature dipped to 4.6 degree celsius, with the cold spell continuing for the second consecutive day.

On Saturday, Delhi witnessed its first cold day of the season with the mercury dipping to 6 degree Celsius. According to IMD, the lowest minimum temperatures recorded at 8.30am on Sunday over the plains of North India are: Churu (minus 2.6), Ganganagar (3.5), Narnaul (1.2), Hissar (2.0), Delhi (Safdarjung) (4.6).

According to the IMD, when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius below the normal, it is said to be a ‘cold day’.

Cold conditions prevailed in the capital owing to a strong, dry northwesterly cold wind which was blowing at 10-20 kmph during the first half of Saturday. The wind speed increased to 25kmph, gusting to 40kmph in the afternoon.

Delhi temperature from various observation stations.

The IMD said cold to severe cold wave conditions are likely to continue over some Northwest parts of the country till December 21. Mercury is likely to dip in Punjab, Haryana, north Rajasthan, north Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The high-velocity winds, however, dispersed fog and led to better visibility in the Capital. At the airport, visibility improved from 200-400 metres at around 8.30am to 1,800-2,000 metres in the afternoon, local officials said. There was dense to light fog in other parts of northwest India.

“In many cities north of Delhi, temperatures fell below zero degrees. Since we are receiving winds from that side, it is pushing Delhi’s temperatures down,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president at private forecaster Skymet Weather Services. “The forecast is that temperatures will fall in the next two days, and under the impact of a fresh western disturbance on December 21-22, there will be a marginal increase.”