Chilly winds force Delhiites to stay indoors

New Delhi, Feb 3: Chilly winds forced majority of people in Delhi to stay indoors today though there was a rise in both the day and night temperatures in the capital.

An official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) here said the ''actual'' minimum temperature recorded today was 9.8 degrees Celsius, one degree above normal. However, he said the ''lower'' minimum stood at 5.0 degrees Celsius, about four degrees below normal. The official said the cloud cover over Delhi resulted in slight increase in maximum temperature, which was recorded at 19.4 degrees Celsius, about three degrees below normal.

Yesterday, there was a fall in the mercury in Delhi due to cold northwesterly winds as the minimum temperature stood at 2.9 degrees Celsius. The day temperature was recorded at 20.3 degrees Celsius, minus two degrees from normal.

The weatherman said traces of rainfall were recorded since 0830 hrs this morning.

The Met official attributed the slight rise in the temperature to a heavy cloud cover over the capital.

He predicted abatement in chill in the city in coming days and an increase in night temperature by 4-5 degrees during the next 48 hours.

The official forecast partly cloudy sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours with possibility of light rain or thundershowers, and the minimum hovering around 8 degrees Celsius.

UNI