Mercury dips to 4 degree on Friday; last year was worse

After recording above-normal minimum temperatures for weeks, the mercury finally took a sharp plunge early morning to 4 degrees Celsius, and made it the season’s coldest day yet on Friday.

After recording above-normal minimum temperatures for weeks, the mercury finally took a sharp plunge early morning to 4 degrees Celsius, and made it the season’s coldest day yet on Friday.

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Already fighting against thick fog for the last few days, Delhiites woke up to the shiver that was increased by the nippy Northwesterly winds blowing from the Himalayas.

The cover of haze and mist in the morning kept the sun’s rays from abating the morning chill for hours as the morning crowds fought their way to work.

“This was expected as the snowfall in hilly states few days ago had brought in the cold-wave conditions in Northwest India. Neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have been battling persistent chill for days now,” said a senior official of the Met department.

The maximum temperature remained 20 degrees Celsius. However, this day last year, it was much chillier, setting the season’s record at 1.9 degrees Celsius.

This will be short-lived because a mass of clouds might raise the night temperatures in the next 48 hours in Delhi, says the government’s National Centre for medium Range Weather Forecasting.

“There might be cloud over Delhi followed by thundershowers starting Sunday. Full-blown fog will also return then,” said the official.

Last year, January was one of the coldest ever with its chill spilling well into February, making it a prolonged winter.