IMD weather update: Delhi to ring in New Year 2023 with cold wave, mercury to drop drastically in January

The residents of Delhi are ringing in the New Year 2023 on December 31, with respite from the cold wave conditions in the national capital for the last two years. For the first time this week, Delhi had its minimum temperature sitting in double digits.

The temperature in Delhi was a bit relaxed on New Year’s Eve, with the minimum temperature settling at 10.2 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average, the India Meteorological Department said. Meanwhile, the IMD has warned of colder weather in the next few days.

While the minimum temperature in Delhi rose to double digits on New Year’s Eve for the first time since Christmas, the IMD has predicted that this respite will be ending soon for the residents of the national capital.

The IMD said icy winds from the Himalayas will bring the minimum temperature down by three to five degrees Celsius in the plains of northwest India. "Dense fog is likely to continue over the region during the next four to five days. A fresh cold wave spell is likely to commence over northwest India from January 1," it said in a statement.

The Safdarjung observatory, the city's primary weather station, on Saturday recorded a minimum temperature of 10.7 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal. It was also the highest minimum temperature this month.

With the western disturbance retreating by Saturday, cold waves and cold day conditions are predicted to wallop parts of Delhi in early January, meteorologists said.

The mercury will drop to 8 degrees Celsius on Saturday and further to 4 degrees Celsius by January 2. Dense fog and cold wave conditions are predicted in parts of Delhi from January 1 to 5, according to the meteorological department.

According to the current weather forecast, it is expected that Delhi will be witnessing a cold wave once again, similar to the one experienced by the national capital since Christmas eve, on December 24.

(With PTI inputs)

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