Delhi in grip of cold as temperature drops to 4.5°C; IMD predicts further dip
Delhi, the national capital, and other north Indian states continue to remain under the grip of cold weather as Delhi recorded a temperature of 4.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday. This marks the second consecutive day that Delhi’s temperatures have dipped below 5 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the city’s minimum temperature could fall to 4 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The cold wave has also affected other states, including Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and others.
A thin layer of fog covered parts of Delhi this morning as the minimum temperature dropped. The cold wave has also gripped the north Indian hill town Shimla after the region received a fresh spell of snowfall.
Delhi faces the coldest December in 2024
This December is the first time since 1987, that minimum temperatures in Delhi have dropped below five degrees Celsius, PTI reported, citing the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to IMD data, the lowest minimum temperature during this period was recorded on December 6, 1987, at 4.1 degrees Celsius.
What the IMD predicts
According to the weather observatory, the minimum temperatures in North India, North West India, and Central India will not experience any significant fluctuations over the next four to five days.
In the next two days, East India’s minimum temperatures will gradually drop by 2-3°C. Meanwhile, West India’s minimum temperatures are expected to rise gradually by 2-3°C.
Cold wave likely for North India
Cold wave conditions are likely to persist until December 16 in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Isolated parts of Rajasthan will also likely face cold wave conditions until December 16.
In Delhi, the cold wave conditions are likely to prevail until December 13, and in Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad from December 13 to 16, the IMD predicted.