Delhiites wake up to coldest morning in 12 years

It was officially winter for the national capital on Sunday as it recorded its coldest December morning in the past 12 years with mercury plummeting to 3.7 degrees Celsius. A light cover of fog also enveloped the city, reducing visibility.

Earlier, the second lowest minimum temperature for the month was recorded on December 29, 2007, at 3.9 degrees Celsius, according to data available with the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Sunday's minimum temperature was four notches below the season's average, a Met department official said. The all-time lowest temperature in the national capital for the month of December was 1.1 degrees Celsius recorded on December 26, 1945, the data showed.

The morning also witnessed a moderate cover of fog around the city with visibility dropping to 300 metres at Palam and 400 metres at Safdarjung, said the MeT department official. The maximum temperature for the day is expected to hover around 22 degrees Celsius, he said. With the prevailing cold wave conditions, the minimum temperature on Saturday was 4 degrees Celsius, the second time this week. As the day progresses, it is likely to become partly cloudy. Haze will also appear in the evening, said the official.Relative humidity at 8.30 AM was 99 per cent. On Thursday also, the minimum temperature was 4 degrees Celsius.