At 9.4C, Delhi records coldest December day in 119 years

maximum temperature in Delhi took a big tumble on Monday to settle at 9.4 degrees Celsius, making it coldest December day since 1901.

It was also coldest day in national capital during December-February period since 1951.

According to Safdarjung Observatory, minimum temperature settled at 2.6 degrees Celsius, four tches below season's aver; humidity level was 100 per cent.

minimum temperature at Palam was 2.9 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Ro was 2.2 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 2.5 degrees Celsius.

" Safdarjung Observatory recorded a maximum of 9.4 degrees Celsius, making it coldest December day since 1901," said Kuldeep Srivastava, he of IMD's regional wear forecasting centre. He said rmal temperature at this time of year is 20.8 degrees Celsius.

Before this, 11.3 degrees Celsius was lowest maximum for month recorded on December 28, 1997.

"Considering all months, it has surpassed previous lowest maximum temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius recorded on January 2, 2013," IMD said in a statement.

aver maximum temperature for December 2019 till Monday is 18.6 degrees Celsius, lowest since December 1997 (when it was 17.3 degrees Celsius) and second-lowest since 1901, when IMD started keeping records.

factors responsible for such a cold December are a "very long spell" of icy winds and a layer of fog lingering over vast swas of rrn plains for 10-12 days, experts said.

As frigid air tightened its grip, a blanket of thick fog reduced visibility to near zero at many places, disrupting train and flight operations.

IMD said national capital witnessed season's worst "dense fog" with "visibility of 0-200 metres for a very prolonged period from 0230 to 1200 hours". reafter shallow to a moderate fog covered city.

Around 530 flights got delayed, 40 cancelled and 21 diverted.

Flights are operating at airport under CAT III B conditions, which means runway visual range (RVR) is between 50 and 175 metres.

Seventy-one trains were delayed by 2-7.5 hours, according to a Railways official.

Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani was delayed by seven and a half hours.

Falling temperatures, low wind speed and high humidity led to a furr dip in air quality index, recorded in severe category at 446 at 4 pm.

Foggy conditions will continue to prevail on Tuesday with minimum temperature likely to settle around three degrees Celsius.

national capital on Saturday h recorded its coldest day of season as minimum temperature plummeted to 2.4 degrees Celsius in morning.