NEW DELHI: As the minimum temperature settled at 4.4 degrees Celsius, the national capital witnessed the coldest day of the season on Wednesday. Since the temperature dipped to the lowest, the city witnessed colder day as compared to Dharamsala, Nainital and Dehradun. With this, a dense layer of fog hovered over the city reducing the visibility to 200 metres. Dharamsala recorded 5.2 degrees Celsius, Nainital recorded 6 degrees and Dehradun recorded 4.5 degrees.
The Ridge observatory near Delhi University recorded a cold wave with a minimum temperature of 3.3 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the national capital on Wednesday. For the next two days the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Delhi-NCR.
It has predicted dense to very dense fog and cold day conditions over northwest India during the next four to five days. “Cold wave conditions are likely to continue over northwest India during the next two days and the intensity will decrease thereafter,” it said.
“The sudden fall in the minimum temperature of the city is due to the frosty winds from the snow-clad Himalayas barrelling through the plains as Safdarjung observatory saw the minimum temperature plummet to 4.4 degrees Celsius from 8.5 degrees a day ago,” said an official of the (IMD).
The IMD official said that the cold day conditions were seen in the city as the maximum temperature dropping five degrees below normal at many places including Lodhi Road, Palam, Jafarpur and Mayur Vihar,” he said.
Senior IMD Scientist RK Jenamani said that the cold wave is prevailing in the national capital and maximum temperature is also low, leading to cold day conditions. Most places are likely to record maximum temperatures between 13 degrees and 15 degrees Celsius”.