With max temperature at 9.4°C, Delhi gets its coldest day in 119 years

NEW DELHI: Battered by over two weeks of unrelenting severe cold, Delhiites got another weather shock on a bitterly bleak and foggy Monday, when the maximum temperature settled at just 9.4 degrees Celsius, making it ever experienced in the capital in 119 years of temperature records .

“Monday’s maximum temperature of 9.4 degree Celsius at Safdarjung was the lowest day temperature recorded for any month at the Safdarjung station in records going back to 1901. The previous lowest maximum was 9.8 degrees C on January 2, 2013,” said R K Jenamani, head of IMD’s national weather forecasting centre here.

The thick blanket of fog that enveloped the city and most other parts of the northern plains prevented sunlight from reaching the ground. With the region already reeling under severe cold conditions, the thickening of the fog due to change in wind direction sent day temperatures plummeting to an unprecedented low, met officials said.
Over 650 flights were delayed, from IGI airport on Monday. Safdarjung’s maximum temperature was as much as 11.1 degrees below the day’s normal. Other spots in the ci-Expect Little Respite Today, Light Rain Likely Tomorrow Delhi’s Coldest Day Ever ty were even colder.
The maximum settled at a bone-chilling 7.7 degrees C at Mungeshpur in northwest Delhi while Najafgarh and Jafarpur recorded 8.2 degrees C. Monday’s minimum temperatures too were over 4 degrees below normal. This meant that both “cold wave” and “severe cold day” conditions — relating to much belownormal night and day temperatures, respectively — prevailed on the same day.
The day appeared to be a fitting finale for the second harshest month of December seen in the capital .
The Met department said New Year’s eve on Tuesday is expected to be only slightly less harsh. “We expect day temperatures to be around 11 degrees C on Tuesday while the minimum will be around 3 degrees. New Year’s Day is likely to be slightly better, with the maximum rising to around 14 degrees. However, light rain is expected on January 1 and 2,” said Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre.
A “severe cold day” is registered when the minimum temperature drops to less than 10 degrees Celsius and it is at least 6.4 degrees Celsius below normal.
A “cold day” warning is issued when the day temperature is at least 4.4 degrees Celsius below normal. A cold wave warning is issued when minimum temperature is below 4.4 degrees Celsius than normal or irrespective of this it is 4 degrees or less.
Earlier, the IMD had issued , which denotes extreme weather condition, for Monday. For Tuesday, New Year’s eve, too, such a warning has been issued.
“There will be partly cloudy sky along with very dense fog in the morning. Cold wave and severe cold day conditions expected at most places in the city. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 11 and 03 degree Celsius respectively. Marginal improvement in terms of temperature is expected on January 1, 2020. However, cold day conditions will prevail in the first week on January,” Kuldeep Srivastava, head of the regional weather forecasting centre told TOI.

According to him, in the first week, the maximum is expected to remain around 15-16 degree Celsius while the minimum will be around 6 degree Celsius.
Severe cold day or cold day conditions are prevailing over Delhi NCR since December 14 for 17 consecutive days, leaving behind 13 consecutive days of 1997.
In Video:Delhi experiences its coldest day in 119 years