Mercury dips to 4.8 degrees Celsius in Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 12 (UNI) After a slight let-up in the severe cold yesterday, Delhi again witnessed chill in the air as the mercury dipped to 4.8 degrees Celsius today.

As the cold Northwesterly winds maintained an intense chill in the air, the minimum was recorded two degrees below normal.

Yesterday the minimum was 5.2 degrees Celsius.

''The mercury will hover around 4 degrees Celsius over the next 24 hours,'' the Met department said.

It has forecast a partly cloudy sky in Delhi during the next 24 hours with slight fog or mist in the morning hours.

Delhi seems to be heading for a third consecutive weekend of biting cold conditions. On Monday, the mercury plummeted to the season's lowest of 2.6 degrees Celsius, the second lowest in the last five years.

At the Delhi Airport, flight operations continued as per schedule in the absence of fog.

An Airports Authority of India spokesperson said flight operations were normal today. ''Today the visibility was 1100 mts through the entire morning since there was no fog,'' he added.

Even though the weatherman has forecast an increase in the night temperatures by two to three degrees C over plains of Northwest India 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 Western disturbances.

The Weatherman has attributed the prevailing weather conditions to the cold Northerly winds flowing over the region.

This, coupled with ground frost experienced at some places over Punjab, Northwest Rajasthan and north Haryana during the past 24 hours, has led to icy cold conditions in Delhi.

UNI