Season’s coldest day at 15° C, winter warms up to Delhi

The city recorded the coldest day of the season so far on Friday as maximum temperature dropped to 15.6 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal.

The city recorded the coldest day of the season so far on Friday as maximum temperature dropped to 15.6 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal.

People take precautions against the cold weather in New Delhi, India, on Friday, January 15, 2016. (HT Photo)

The weatherman predicted a warmer Saturday with a maximum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius and a minimum of nine degrees. While skies are expected to be clear, dense fog is forecast for the morning.

On Friday, the minimum temperature was 9.6 degrees, two degrees above normal for the season, said a MeT department official.

Dense fog enveloped the city, affecting visibility which led to the cancellation of over 60 trains. Ten Delhi-bound trains, including the Magadh Express and Poorva Express, ran late, while 64 trains were cancelled.

According to Delhi Airport authorities, 17 flights were delayed because of the bad weather. Visibility was 200 metres at 5.30 am, which improved to 500 meters at 8.30 am. It then further improved to 1,500 metres as the day progressed. And humidity oscillated between 72% and 100%.

Cold weather usually starts to wane in the second half of January, but this year the temperature has started to drop after the first half. The first half of January, in fact, was the warmest in 10 years.

Delhiites waiting for the cold finally got a taste of it, but it may not last long as day-time temperatures are expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Light rain is also expected on the day.