Chilly X'mas in Delhi, mercury rises to 6.9 degrees C.

New Delhi, Dec 25 (UNI) Chill in the air continued to put a dampener on Christmas Celebrations in Delhi even though mercury rose slightly from the season's lowest of 6.1 degrees Celsius yesterday to 6.9 degrees C.

Another chilly morning greeted Delhiites as they took part in the mid night mass in various churches in the capital. For, even though the minimum temperature rose to 6.9 degrees C, it was still one degree below normal.

The visibility levels, however, continued to remain at normal levels. A spokesperson of the Airports Authority of India said the visibility levels at the international airport were normal with no flight delays due to fog.

Though the coming one or two days could witness a slight rise in minimum temperature, the end of the week could see a further fall in night temperatures with the weatherman forecasting a fresh phase of snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal and rain in Punjab and Haryana.

Infact, the weatherman has also predicted a fall in night temperature over plains of Northwest India in the post-Christmas period.

The met office has forecast a mainly clear sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours with the possibility of a development of cloudy conditions by evening or night. They have also forecast slight fog or mist in the morning hours.

UNI AR SB DB1328