Delhi Reels Under Severe Cold, Mercury Dips To 2.5 Degrees Celsius

Delhi continues to reel under a severe cold wave with the minimum temperature settling at 2.5 degrees Celsius on Monday morning. Dense fog enveloped the city reducing visibility to less than 500 metres. Three flights were diverted from Delhi airport, however, no flights have been cancelled yet. Flights are operating at the airport under CAT III B conditions, which means that the runway visual range (RVR) is between 50 metres and 175 metres.Giving an update on flight operations at 7 am, the airport official said there was dense fog but no “flight has been cancelled” yet.

Schools in Haryana will remain closed on December 30 and 31. "In view of the prevailing severe cold, the government has declared a holiday in all government and private schools in the state on December 30 and 31," an official statement said. In Haryana, minimum temperatures have been hovering close to the freezing point at some places, while day temperatures too have been settling in the range of 10-13 degrees Celsius at most places.

The Met department said, "As expected, change in wind direction from north-westerly to easterly has started and reduction in cold day and cold wave has started. The frigid temperatures, high humidity and low wind speed allowed accumulation of pollutants leading further deterioration in the national capital's air quality."

Since December 14, the national capital has been experiencing "severe cold days".

With chilling cold continuing to sweep Delhi-NCR, the region is expected to record its second-coldest December since 1901, the weather department had said.

“The mean maximum temperature for December was less than 20 degrees Celsius only in 1919, 1929, 1961 and 1997,” an official of the India Meteorological Department said.

In December this year, the mean maximum temperature (MMT) till Thursday was 19.85 degrees Celsius. It is expected to dip to 19.15 degrees Celsius by December 31, he said.

Since December 14, most parts of the city have witnessed 15 consecutive “cold days” or a 15-day “cold spell”. The last time such a long cold spell was witnessed was in December 1997.

After 1992, Delhi has had cold spells only in four years - 1997, 1998, 2003 and 2014.

“Severe cold day/cold day” conditions are predicted till December 29.