Icy winds swept the Capital again on Thursday and the minimum temperatures plunged to a low of 4 degrees Celsius crushing all hopes of an early summer for the winter-weary citizens of the city.
“I really don't know and can't say when summer will arrive,” said India Meteorological Department director B.P Yadav, adding that there was nothing worrisome about the sudden cold.
The maximum temperature settled at 19 degrees Celsius, almost four degrees below normal for this time of the year.
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The cold is likely to continue unabated with the weatherman forecasting equally dismal temperatures for Friday. The minimum temperature of 4 degrees is likely to continue and the maximum around 21. Saturday is likely to experience a slight increase with the minimum temperature rising one degree to settle at 5. Sunday might register a minimum temperature of 7 and a maximum of 23 degrees.
The last day of January recorded a minimum of 4.4 degrees C, but February started out pleasantly enough with the minimum temperature being recorded at 7 on the first day followed by relatively warm weather conditions over the next few days.
Severe winds on Wednesday marked the re-entry of the bone chilling cold that usually defines December with the minimum temperature hovering at 8 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 19.3, three degrees below normal for this time of the year.
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This winter is fast turning out to be the coldest in several years, with Thursday recording the lowest temperature in almost five years along with December 25 when temperatures dipped to a low of 2.9, the coldest Christmas in five years. The minimum temperature same time last year was 15 degrees Celsius.