Icy winds send shivers across Delhi, lows to hover near 3°C
NEW DELHI/GURGAON: Wrap up, the winter is here.
Delhi recorded its coldest day of the season on Wednesday, with minimum temperature dropping to 2.1 degrees Celsius in some areas. Neighbouring Gurgaon was even colder at 1.7 degrees.
The regional weather forecasting centre (RWFC) reported that Jafarpur in Delhi’s southwest recorded a minimum of 2.1 degrees, though the average minimum temperature for the city was 4 degrees. The maximum was 17.2 degrees. Both the readings were three degrees below season’s normal.
And, we are not done yet. The met department expects the next few days to be even colder. In Delhi, Wednesday’s conditions may carry into Thursday but Friday the temperature could drop to 3 degrees, same for Gurgaon. Day temperature is likely to hover around 17 degrees in both the cities.
Fresh snow in the hills and icy winds sweeping northern plains will keep Delhi shivering for another four days, at least.
“With a western disturbance expected on 15th or 16th of January, temperatures in the city will rise. Minimum temperature will be around 10 degrees,” an RWFC official said. Some parts of the city and neighbouring areas may also get rain.
The season’s coldest day was surprisingly a fog-free day for Delhi and that is how the remaining week would be. The westerly and north westerly winds are keeping the fog at bay.
“Though it is quite cold, it still doesn’t feel like Delhi winter. The sun makes it extremely pleasant,” said Tanushree Sarkar, who lives in Delhi University’s south campus.
Gurgaon, however, is going under cover. A dense fog is forecast for the remaining month, officials said, advising commuters to use fog lights and drive carefully.
Doctors, too, have a word of caution — avoid going for a walk early in the morning and late in the evening.
“People who have a history of respiratory problems should protect themselves from the changing temperature. Cold weather might also contribute to the risk of breathing problems,” Dr Rajesh Kumar, who is with Gurgaon’s Paras Hospital, said. Delhi tops list of polluted cities: Greenpeace report >>P9 Snag hits thousands of commuters on Blue Line >>P5