Another cold morning for Delhi, temperature falls to 4 degrees Celsius

The IMD has predicted cold wave to severe cold wave conditions in entire northwest India till Tuesday night. It said that some relief is expected from Wednesday.

Delhi woke up to another cold morning on Tuesday, with the temperature at the city’s base observatory in Safdarjung plunging to four degrees Celsius, news agency ANI reported. The news agency quoted data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded at 8.30am this morning.

The entire north India is reeling under a spell of cold wave. (PTI file photo)

When maximum is minimum: Explaining Delhi’s winter chill

The national capital has been reeling under cold wave for the last few days. On Monday, the Safdarjung observatory recorded a low of 3.2°C, and Lodhi Road recorded a minimum of 3.1°C - around five notches below normal for this time of the season.

Monday was the coldest morning of the season so far. Prior to Monday, the lowest minimum temperature at Safdarjung was 4.6°C recorded on Sunday morning.

The IMD has said in its forecast that some relief is expected from Wednesday due to active western disturbances. The temperature is expected to rise to 8°C by Christmas Day. The IMD has also lifted the yellow alert for severe cold.

“Two back-to-back western disturbances and the resultant slowing down of cold northwesterly winds from Tuesday night will push the minimum temperature up,” said R K Jenamani, a senior scientist at the IMD.

"Cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely to continue in some parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh during the next 24 hours and cold wave conditions are very likely at isolated pockets for the subsequent 24 hours," the IMD said in a bulletin on Monday evening.

Visuals posted by news agency ANI on Twitter showed Amritsar in Punjab engulfed by a blanket of fog.

The IMD declares a cold wave if the minimum temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius. A cold wave is also declared when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal.

(With inputs from agencies)