Delhi temperature drops to 2.4 degrees

The Indian capital, Delhi, today experienced its coldest day of this winter with minimum temperature plummeting to 2.4 degrees celsius in the morning, Met officials said.

A dense fog enveloped the entire city reducing visibility and affecting movement of vehicles, trains and flights. The 2.4 degrees was recorded at 6am local time, our New Delhi correspondent reports quoting officials.

Four flights have been diverted till now at Delhi airport due to low visibility and 24 trains are running late.

Reeling under a cold spell since December 14, Delhi is expected to witness its second-coldest December in 118 years, according to the weather office. On Friday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 4.2 degrees, three notches below normal while maximum temperature was recorded at 12.9 degrees, reports our correspondent.

The mean maximum temperature for December this year was less than 20 degrees only in 1919, 1929, 1961 and 1997, an IMD official said. Cold to severe cold conditions are very likely over many parts of northern states like Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh over the weekend, the weather office said in its daily report on Friday.