Delhiites got up to a foggy morning with bone-chilling cold and icy breeze literally freezing all activities. 1st day of New Year 2021 recorded a minimum temperature of 1.1 degrees Celsius, the lowest of this winter season so far. This temperature was 6 degrees below the normal for Delhi, the first time in the season to be marked as severe cold wave day on record. The official base observatory Safdarjung had earlier recorded 3.3 degrees yesterday the then lowest of the season which got surpassed quickly.
This is the lowest minimum temperature recorded for Delhi in the last 15 years in the month of January and that too on the first day of the month. Before this, the lowest of 0.6 degrees was measured on 08th January 2006. The first week of January in Delhi has a normal minimum of 7 degrees and drops further during the 2nd week. A rising trend is observed mostly towards fag end of the month and temperature on a few occasions does reach double-digit. Otherwise, the monthly average stands at 7.6 degrees, a bit lower than 8.3 degrees of December.
Relief from the extreme cold condition is very much likely for Delhi from tomorrow onward. Western disturbance and its induced weather system as cyclonic circulation is affecting the northern region for the next 5 days. Reversal of winds will raise the minimum temperature to 8-9 degrees in the next 3-4days. Also, first typical winter rainy spall is expected for Delhi between 02nd and 06th January with more intense activity on 4th and 5th January. Possibly hailstorm may also accompany lightning and thunderstorm during this period for Delhi.
