Delhi shivers at 9.4 degrees Celsius, might be coldest December day in 119 years

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Delhi is likely to experience its coldest day in 119 years on Monday for the month of December, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.

“The day temperature till 1430 IST today has been unusual following the coldest trend with Safdarjung at 1430 IST at 9.4 degree Celsius and Palam at 9 degrees Celsius,” the weather department said in a statement. The Safdarjung observatory is considered the official marker for the city.

The temperature at other three IMD observatories at Ayanagar, Ridge and Lodhi Road are 7.8, 8.4 and 9.2 degrees Celsius, it further said.

It also said that the lowest maximum temperature so far has been recorded on December 28, 1997, when the mercury had plunged to 11.3 degree Celsius, the IMD said.

Earlier, experts had said that Delhi is witnessing more chill than hilly areas. “Delhi is facing cold weather for the past few weeks. The cold is more severe than the hilly areas. The mean temperatures are lower here because of fog and no sunshine. Because of the cold weather, there is a rise of 15-20 per cent in the number of patients in OPD,” AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Monday.

On Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a ‘red’ warning for the national capital as cold wave conditions continued unabated in the region. The red colour denotes extreme weather conditions.

A thick blanket to fog is accompanying severe cold which has led to disruptions in air and rail traffic. As many as 500 flights were delayed and 21 were diverted from Delhi airport and 30 trains are running late due to low visibility in the Northern Railway region.

Delhi on Sunday registered its 16th successive “severe cold day”, the longest spell of such weather conditions in December in the past 22 years, according to IMD. The minimum temperature was at 2 degrees Celsius.

From December 31 onwards, rain is likely in the capital city and its adjoining areas such as Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.

This weather phenomenon is likely to continue till January 3, predicted the weather forecast agency.