Streak continues in Delhi as Tuesday’s max temperature reaches 12.1°C

The Capital’s frigid spell continued on Tuesday with the day’s maximum temperature dropping further to 12.1 degrees Celsius – 10 degrees below the normal mark, making it not only the coldest day of the season so far, but also Delhi’s coldest January day in the last nine years.

The last time Delhi had recorded a lower maximum temperature in January was on January 3, 2013, when the day temperature failed to cross the 10-degree mark (9.8 degrees Celsius).

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said most parts of Delhi recorded “severe cold day” with the lowest maximum of 11.4 degrees Celsius recorded at the Jafarpur station. Cold day conditions are also expected to prevail in Delhi on Wednesday, with a yellow alert currently in place, Met officials have said.

The IMD classifies a ‘cold day’ when the maximum temperature is 4.5 degrees Celisus or more below normal, with the minimum settling below the 10-degree mark. It is classified as a ‘severe cold day’ when the maximum is 6.5 degrees or more below the normal mark. A yellow alert is meanwhile issued to warn about a weather event.

Delhi had recorded its first ‘severe cold day’ of the season on Tuesday, when the maximum was 14.8 degrees – seven notches below the normal mark. Prior to Tuesday, Delhi’s lowest maximum of the season was 14.7 degrees Celsius, which was recorded on Saturday.

While Safdarjung had a high of 12.1 degrees, it was 11.6 degrees at Palam, 12.2 at Lodhi road, 11.7 degrees at Ridge and 12 degrees at the Ayanagar station.

Delhi’s minimum also remained low and was recorded at 6.2 degrees – one degree below normal.