Delhi logs coldest night this season; min at 3.9°C

Delhi recorded its coldest night of the season on Friday with the minimum temperature dipping to 3.9 degrees Celsius (C) below normal three degrees making for a frosty morning, even as dense surface-level fog significantly dropped visibility to zero at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport for over four hours, the India Meteorological Department said.

However, the dense fog cleared by llam and sharp sunlight covered most of the city.

The maximum peaked at 19.3°C - a degree below normal making for the warmest daytime temperature this month. It was 20.3°C on December 30.

The previous lowest minimum so far this winter was 4.9°C on December 15 and it did not go below 5°C on any other day.

Very dense surface-level fog also returned to the Capital, impeding transit operations at the airport for over four hours from 4.30 am to 9.30 am and delaying at least 100 flights within that period. Similarly, the Northern Railways said that at least 39 trains were delayed by an hour.

The Capital, this season, has recorded three "cold days" when the maximum was 4.5°C or more below normal.

However, no "cold wave" has officially been recorded this winter so far, as the classification can only be made in the plains when the minimum reading is below 4°C for two consecutive days.

To be sure, the city recorded isolated "cold wave" conditions in areas like Lodhi Road at 3.6°C on Friday.