Delhi shivers on coldest recorded December day this year, IMD issues alert for Sunday
Delhi shivers on coldest recorded December day this year, IMD issues alert for Sunday
New Delhi:
Delhi witnessed its first cold wave of the season on Saturday, marking the coldest day of December so far. The maximum temperature dropped sharply to 16.9 degrees Celsius, which is 5.3 degrees below the seasonal average, bringing a biting chill across the national capital. Thick cloud cover and a persistent grey haze dominated the skyline throughout the day, preventing sunlight from breaking through and intensifying the cold conditions.
Cold wave criteria met at key stations
For the first time this winter, Delhi officially met the 'cold wave day' criteria. According to the India Meteorological Department, two of the city's five monitoring stations, Safdarjung and Palam, recorded cold wave conditions. Safdarjung logged a maximum temperature of 16.9 degrees Celsius, while Palam recorded an even lower high of 16.3 degrees Celsius, which was 5.6 degrees below normal. The IMD defines a cold wave when the departure from the normal maximum temperature ranges between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius.
How this December compares
IMD data shows that the lowest maximum temperature recorded in December 2024 stood at 14.6 degrees Celsius. In comparison, the lowest maximum was 15.9 degrees Celsius in December 2023 and 15.6 degrees Celsius in December 2022. Meanwhile, the minimum temperature on Saturday settled at 6.1 degrees Celsius, which is two degrees below the normal level, the weather department said.
Dense fog disrupts visibility
Visibility remained severely affected during the morning hours due to fog. At 8.30 am, visibility at Safdarjung was down to 200 metres, while Palam reported 350 metres. Conditions improved marginally by 12.30 pm, with visibility increasing to 400 metres at Safdarjung and 600 metres at Palam. Shallow to moderate fog persisted across most parts of the city through the day, keeping visibility between 400 and 600 metres until the afternoon.
Orange alert issued for Sunday
The IMD has forecast dense to very dense fog for Sunday and issued an orange alert for Delhi. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 23 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to settle near 9 degrees Celsius.
