New Delhi: Delhiites on Saturday experienced the coldest day of the season with the minimum temperature dipping to 2.4 degrees Celsius in the morning, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The Safdarjung observatory, whose reading is considered as the official marking for the city, recorded the lowest temperature of the season at 2.4 degrees Celsius in the morning.
In Palam, the temperature was recorded at 3.4 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road at 1.7 degrees Celsius and Aya Nagar at 1.9 degrees Celsius.
A thick layer of fog enveloped the city in the morning reducing the visibility to less than 150 metres. The bone-chilling cold and the dense fog disrupted the air, road and rail traffic. Visibility was reduced to zero near Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport. Four flights were diverted and 24 trains were running late due to the low visibility.
The National Capital and adjoining areas such as Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gurugram are expected to receive heavy downpour from December 31 onwards. IMD has predicted that the conditions is likely to prevail till January 3, 2020.
Delhi has recorded its second coldest December since 1901 when the temperature was recorded as low as 0.0 degrees Celsius.
Since December 14, Delhi has recorded 11 consecutive cold days breaking the 22-year-old record. 1997 was the last time when the city recorded such a long cold spell.
According to Skymet Weather, a weather forecast agency, a severe cold alert has been issued across the national capital.
Cold alert is issued when temperature in plains settle below 16 degrees Celsius.
