The national capital on Sunday recorded a temperature of 3.7 degrees Celsius, its lowest in December in 12 years, PTI reported. Visibility dropped in the city as moderately foggy conditions prevailed.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department, Delhi had recorded a temperature of 3.9 degrees Celsius on December 29, 2007. The all-time lowest temperature in Delhi for December was 1.1 degrees Celsius, recorded on December 26, 1945.
An unidentified weather department official said that minimum temperature on Sunday was four degrees below the season’s average. The maximum temperature is expected to touch around 22 degrees Celsius.
For the second time in a week on Saturday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 4 degrees Celsius. Earlier on Thursday, New Delhi had recorded its coldest day in four years with the minimum temperature dipping to 4 degrees Celsius.
Punjab and Haryana also shivered as a cold wave continued to sweep the states. Adampur in Punjab was the coldest place in the two states, recording a minimum temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Bathinda recorded a minimum temperature of 2 degrees Celsius, while Ludhiana’s dipped to 3.7 degrees Celsius. In Haryana, Narnaul was the coldest place at 2.5 degrees Celsius.
The cold weather conditions are likely to continue in the two states over the next few days, officials said.
The minimum temperature, meanwhile, rose across the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region on Saturday night even as the temperature remained several degrees below freezing point. While Srinagar recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, Qazigund’s minimum temperatures touched minus 4.2 degrees Celsius and Kupwara recorded minus 5.6 degrees.
Pahalgam was the coldest place in the Valley, recording a low of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius, while Leh touched a minimum of minus 14.3 degrees Celsius. The 40-day harsh winter period, known as Chillai Kalaan, began in Kashmir on Friday, and will end on January 30.
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