Delhi freezes at 1.9 degrees Celsius

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, making it the coldest day of the season so far and the coldest on January 2 in the last five years.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, making it the coldest day of the season so far and the coldest on January 2 in the last five years.

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According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the northwesterly wind forced the mercury down to 1.9 degrees, which is five degrees below normal, from the 2.6-degree minimum recorded on Tuesday.

On January 2, 2007, the minimum temperature had been nine degrees Celsius.

"The severe cold wave is here to stay for some more days," an IMD official said.

Painting a grim picture of the coming days, the weatherman said the night temperature would hover around one degree Celsius till Friday.

"It's going to be colder in the coming days. The cold spell in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal, Rajasthan and Punjab is certainly affecting the weather in Delhi," the official added.

People in the national capital lit bonfires and basked in mild sunshine in parks to beat the cold.

"For the last few days it's becoming very difficult to go for a morning walk. Though there isn't much fog this year, the temperature has really gone down substantially. You simply cannot move out of home without a couple of sweaters and a muffler," said Nrusingha Charan Jena, a bank employee.