The minimum temperature in the city on Tuesday fell to 4.1 degrees Celsius, which is the lowest this season, leading the Meteorological Department Department to declare a cold wave.
The minimum was five degrees colder than normal for this season, and a fall from the 8.4 degrees Celsius recorded on Monday.
A western disturbance brought light rain to the national capital over the weekend after which temperatures started falling. The first half of December was warmer than usual after October and November recorded colder than normal temperatures. The Met department said the cold wave is likely to continue as chilly winds are blowing towards Delhi from the Himalayas where there has been fresh snowfall.
The maximum temperature on Tuesday dipped to 18.5 degrees Celsius, five degrees below normal and the coldest maximum temperature for the season.
In Delhi, the IMD declares a cold wave when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal.
The Met department’s forecast for Wednesday reads: “Mainly clear sky with cold day and cold wave conditions at few places. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to settle around 19 and 3 degrees Celsius, respectively. The cold wave is likely to continue till December 18 with clear sky and minimum temperatures under five degrees Celsius. After this, the skies are likely to become party cloudy.”
Last year, the mercury fell to 2.4 degrees Celsius on December 28.
The coldest ever minimum temperature recorded in Delhi was on December 27, 1930, when it touched 0 degrees Celsius.
