Delhi: Respite from biting cold as temperature rises to 9.3 degrees C, but fresh spell likely

NEW DELHI:  Delhiites get respite from the extreme cold wave as the minimum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 9.3 degree Celsius, notches above the average for this time of the year. However, the maximum temperature in the city settled at 21.6 degree Celsius, two notches higher than the normal for this season. The city also saw light showers. 

The relative humidity was recorded 97 per cent at 8:30 am and 73 per cent at 5:30 pm, said the weather department. As northwest India is already in the grip of cold wave conditions, the IMD predicted that a fresh spell of cold wave is likely to re-emerge after January 14 and the minimum temperature is likely to dip by 2-6 degree Celsius next week due to western disturbances and snowfall for the next two days.

Weather expert said a severe chill would be experienced between January 14 and 19 and is likely to be at its peak from January 16 to 18.  “Severe chills are on the horizon between January 14 and 19 and are likely to be at their peak from January 16 to 18,” said Navdeep Dahiya, the founder of Live Weather of India, an online weather platform.

“Don’t know how to put this up but upcoming spell of coldwave will get extreme during 14-19th January 2023. I have never seen temperature going this low in a prediction model so far in my career. Freezing -4°c to +2°c in plains, Wow!,” Dahiya tweeted.

The IMD predicted fresh spells of dense to very dense fog and isolated cold wave conditions over northwest India from January 15. The minimum temperature is likely to fall by 2 to 3 degrees in East India after three days. “A fresh spell of dense to very dense fog is very likely in isolated/some pockets during night and morning hours over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh,” it said.

After bone-chilling nights for the past several weeks, the IMD had predicted only temporary relief for residents of Northwest India from the excruciating cold this week.