Delhi experienced the third worst cold spell this season in the last 23 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.
The cold wave spell in the national capital in January this year was the longest in a decade, the weather department added.
Senior IMD scientist R K Jenamani also said “Delhi recorded a minimum temperature equal to or less than 4 degrees Celsius on 7 days (January 3 to January 9) in 2013, with the lowest minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius on January 6.”
This year, the national capital recorded a cold wave spell from January 5 to January 9, with the lowest minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius on January 8, according to the IMD data.
The official said a similar situation was also experienced in the year 2006 when the lowest temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius was recorded during a cold spell.
Cold wave conditions abated in Delhi on Tuesday due to a fresh western disturbance affecting northwest India, even as a dense layer of fog lowered visibility to just 50 metres, affecting road and rail movement.
The Safdarjung observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 6.4 degrees Celsius as against 3.8 degrees Celsius on Monday. The maximum temperature settled at 18.7 degrees Celsius.
“Cold wave conditions have abated from the plains in northwest India. No cold wave is predicted in the region for the next four days,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement.
“However, dense to very dense fog and cold day conditions will prevail over many parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday and will gradually abate thereafter,” it said.
Light drizzle is also expected in the capital on Thursday. IMD predicted the cold wave condition will get worse in the national capital over the week and warned of a second chilly spell from January 14.
