NEW DELHI: Delhi's minimum temperature dropped to 4.3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday (January 12), and is likely to dip further in the coming days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. According to reports, the weatherman issued an Orange alert for the national capital along with Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, predicting severe to very severe cold condition in these states today.
The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a minimum of 4.3 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal, an IMD official said. Delhi had been registering above normal minimum temperatures till Monday, as a cloud cover persisted over the city under the influence of successive Western Disturbances.
The mercury is set to drop further. Moderate to dense fog is also predicted over the capital on Thursday and Friday, the IMD official said.
Meanwhike, parts of Tamil Nadu received heavy rainfall on Tuesday, which is likely to continue till January 14, said IMD."Very heavy rainfall has been reported at Atiramapattinam (13.5cm) of Tamil Nadu, Ariyalur (10 cm), Nagapattinam (8 cm) and Karaikal (6.3 cm) during 0830 hours IST of January 11 to 0530 hrs IST of January 12," the IMD tweeted. According to the weather department, the spell of heavy rainfall is likely to continue tomorrow as well.
The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai in its daily weather report also predicted thunderstorms with moderate rains in various parts of the state for today and tomorrow.
The minimum temperature is very likely to gradually fall by 2-4 degree Celsius in most parts of northwest India over next three-four days, the IMD said in its bulletin on Monday. IMD also predicted that a cold wave condition is very likely in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi.
In another tweet, IMD stated, "It is very likely that cold day/severe cold day conditions at some/many pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, northwest Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan are observed during the next 3 days and cold wave/severe cold wave conditions at isolated pockets also very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, northwest Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan during next 3-4 days."
"On January 14, the temperature in the capital will reduce again, dipping to about 5 degrees Celsius. There might also be dense fog conditions," the IMD said.
(With agency inputs)
