Another chilly day in Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) A day after the capital was lashed by moderate to heavy showers, which plummeted the mercury by nearly five degrees Celsius, Delhiites today woke up to another chilly day with the weathermen forecasting a few more spells of rainfall later tonight or tomorrow.

The minimum temperature today dropped to 14.9 degrees Celsius, from over 16 degrees C yesterday. However, with the South Easterlies lending a chill to the air, the day temperature dropped to 22 degrees C, which was three degrees below normal.

Fresh spells of rainfall in the capital yesterday - light rains hit Delhi in the morning hours while a short burst of heavy rainfall occurred last night - led to a sharp drop in the mercury.

The maximum temperature dropped by almost five degrees Celsius, from 28 degrees C on Tuesday. The drop in maximum temperature to 23 degrees C, which was three degrees below normal, brought about a sudden chill in the air.

About 24 mm of rainfall was recorded till 0830 hours this morning, the weather office said. Weathermen attribute the fresh spell of rainfall in the capital, which follows a heavily overcast sky since Tuesday evening, to the influence of a fresh Western disturbance.

In fact, the weather office has forecast more spells of rainfall and thundershowers in Delhi in the next 24 hours with some of them expected to be accompanied by thundersqualls or hailstorms.

They have also forecast a sharp drop in both day and night temperature in Delhi and other parts of North West India during the next few days.

''Night temperatures are likely to fall by three tod four degrees C and day temperatures are likely to rise by three to four degrees C over Indo-Gangetic plains during next two to three days,''the Met office said.

The weather office forecast a drop in minimum temperature to 13 Degree C tomorrow.

The chilly spell in Delhi comes on the eve of Holi, which normally marks the onset of Summer season in the Capital.

UNI