Season’s lowest, yet: Temperature plunges to 4.4 degrees Celsius in Delhi

While Delhi’s primary weather station Safdarjung observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius, residents will further need to brace for coldwave conditions which are set to return to the capital.

A few days ago, a Twitter user was seen joking about the chilly winter temperature and dense foggy weather in the national capital when he said, “Delhi is finally Delhiying.” It indeed is because on Wednesday morning the city’s minimum temperature was recorded as the season’s lowest yet at 4.4 degrees Celsius while it remained enveloped by a thick layer of fog.

People sit around the bonfire to keep themselves warm on a cold winter day in Delhi NCR. (ANI)

"Dense fog layer persists over Indo-Gangetic plains. It is likely to persist for the next 2-3 days and gradually reduce thereafter," news agency PTI reported citing an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official.

Amid foggy weather, a visibility level of 200 meters at 5.30 am was noted at the Palam observatory at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

While Delhi’s primary weather station Safdarjung observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius, residents will further need to brace for coldwave conditions which are set to return to the capital on Thursday, the IMD predicted, adding that the mercury may drop to 4 degrees Celsius. “Cold wave conditions are very likely to continue over northwest India during the next 3 days and decrease in intensity thereafter,” a tweet by IMD read.

The weather department has also forecast dense to very dense fog and cold day conditions over the northwest regions during the next four to five days. A cold day is described when the minimum temperature is less than or equal to 10 degrees Celsius below the normal, while the maximum temperature is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius below the normal.

The weatherman declares a cold wave condition for the plains when the minimum temperature dips to 4 degrees Celsius or when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches below normal.

(With PTI inputs)