Delhi witnesses coldest Christmas in last 5 years

Delhi, witnessing the coldest Christmas in the last 5 years, also witnessed a drop in the air quality as well.

New Delhi, Dec 26: The national capital on Sunday experienced the coldest day of December in last five years with the maximum temperature settling at 15.4 degrees Celsius, six notches below the season's average. The Met Office has forecast similar weather for the next few days.

Delhi residents woke up to a shallow fog in the morning but the clouds of dense fog enveloped the city the day ahead with breeze bringing the minimum temperature at 11.4 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average.

At most of the places, people were seen using bonfires in the day but said they were enjoying the weather and said it a gift of Santa Claus on the occasion of Christmas.

"It's an amazing day. Unlike other weekends, I came out with my family outside my home to enjoy the weather," Mayank Srivastava, an engineer with a private firm in south Delhi, told IANS.

College student, Maria Sebastian said:"It's a joyful gift of Santa on Christmas. I am enjoying it."

Weather officials said that the change in atmosphere was due to Western Disturbance in the Jammu and Kashmir region, and sudden increase of humidity which on Sunday oscillated between 98 and 91 percent.

An official at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told IANS that similar weather will be seen in coming three-four days.

"There will be a clear sky on Monday with shallow/moderate fog in the morning," said the IMD official, adding the maximum and minimum temperature on Monday are likely to hover around 21 and 10 degrees Celsius.

Though no cancellations of trains were made due to the Delhi weather, as many as 103 trains were running late because of fog and other operational reasons as of Friday evening, said a Northern Railway official, adding 27 trains were also rescheduled.

Flights operated normally without any cancellation or delay, an official at the Indira Gandhi International Airport said.

Saturday's maximum temperature settled at 20.5 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average while minimum temperature recorded at 8 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the season.

IANS