Biting cold conditions continue, mercury rises to 3.2

New Delhi, Jan 9 (UNI) Biting cold conditions continued to send Delhiites "in a freeze" today with the cold Northwesterly winds maintaining an intense chill in the air for the second consecutive day.

For the second day in succession, the mercury was recorded at four degrees below normal at 3.2 degree C, just a slight rise from 2.6 degree C recorded yesterday.

Also, after a largely clear and fogless sky in Delhi last week, fog resurfaced on the Delhi skyline this morning, reducing visibility levels to 400m at 0430 hours, which continued til 0900 hours. However, the visibility improved to 800m thereafter.

The minimum temperatures of 2.6 degree C and 3.2 degree C recorded yesterday and today make it the second coldest January experienced in Delhi in the last five years. The lowest level of mercury at zero degree C was recorded in January last year.

Weathermen attribute the freezing cold conditions to the ground frost experienced at some places over Punjab, Northwest Rajasthan and north Haryana during the past 24 hours.

Though weathermen have forecast a gradual increase in the night temperatures by two to three degrees C over plains of Northwest India including Delhi during the next 24 hours, the mercury could again witness a drop towards the end of the week with fresh snowfall predicted over Jammu and Kashmir in the coming days under the influence of a Western disturbance.

The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours with likelihood of slight mist in the morning. It has predicted a minimum temperature of five degree C tomorrow morning.

UNI