Cold wave grips Capital as temp dips

Biting cold gripped the capital on Sunday as it experienced the first cold wave of the season, with minimum temperatures falling below 3.0 degrees Celsius at some places. Intense cold wave conditions were observed at isolated places, with Palam, Ridge and Ayanagar stations reporting minimum temperatures below 4.0 degrees Celsius.

Palam recorded its lowest minimum temperature in 13 years on Sunday, with the mercury dipping to 3.0 degrees Celsius, 4.3 notches below normal.

Earlier, the Palam station had logged a minimum temperature of 2.6 degrees Celsius on January 7, 2013.

The all-time lowest minimum temperature at Palam, however, remains minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, recorded on January 11, 1967.

Ayanagar was the coldest place in the city, logging a minimum temperature of 2.9 degrees Celsius, 4.2 notches below normal, while the maximum temperature stood at 18.1 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches below normal, the data showed.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials, this is the first instance of a cold wave in the national capital during this winter season. Similar conditions are likely to prevail over the next two days, and a yellow alert has been issued in this regard. The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s principal weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius, 2.6 notches below the seasonal average, while the maximum temperature settled at 18.8 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches below normal, IMD data showed.

The Ridge station reported a minimum temperature of 3.7 degrees Celsius, 4.4 notches below normal, while the maximum was recorded at 18.8 degrees Celsius, 0.1 notch below normal. Lodhi Road recorded a maximum temperature of 18.8 degrees Celsius, 2.2 notches below normal, while the minimum temperature settled at 4.6 degrees Celsius, 1.4 notches below normal. Relative humidity was recorded at 97 per cent in the morning and 59 per cent in the evening, the weather office said.

“Northwest India is experiencing one of its driest winters on record, with an 84.8 per cent rainfall deficiency in December and 84 per cent in the first ten days of January, leaving the region’s hills parched and starved of snow at the height of the winter season,” the IMD said.