Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 5.3°C this morning, 3°C below the normal. This is for the 8th consecutive day that the base observatory Safdarjung has recorded single-digit minimum from 15th December to 22nd December. During this period the lowest temperature of 3.4°C (lowest of the season so far) was registered on 20th December and the highest of 5.8°C on 16th December.
The national capital has a normal of 10°C minimum during the first week of December and ends up with 7°C in the last week. During the first fortnight, the city recorded double-digit temperature on 7 days with highest of this month at 13.6°C on 12th December. Already 2 rounds of cold wave conditions have swept the city with minimum temperature 4-5°C below the normal.
The western disturbance has already moved away eastward and in the wake of this system, cold air once again is likely to make incursion to the plains of North India. Delhi, though a little far from its reach, yet will experience drop in the night temperature for the next 3 days. Cold wave conditions will come up again with temperature 4-5°C below the average. Christmas eve could be the coldest of this spell with a minimum around 3°C on 25th December morning.
In view of another western disturbance reaching around 25th December morning and affecting weather mainly across the hills of North India, the cold wave will abate with rising of about 3°C in the subsequent 48 hours. The approaching weekend is likely to be foggy and chilly for Delhiites with an outside chance of light rain and drizzle on 27th December. The new year eve also may go the same way as Christmas without any threat of rain playing spoilsport.
