Rains likely in Delhi today
Delhi-NCR witnessed a slight respite from severe winter chills on Thursday. However, if the weather department is to be believed, the chills are set to return to the national capital in the days to come. The weather department had predicted a hailstorm on Wednesday and Thursday in the city. However, on Wednesday, the MeT department said that hailstorm is unlikely but light rain may take place in Delhi- NCR on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, 21 trains across the Northern Railway region were running late on Thursday due to low visibility.
On Wednesday, Delhiites woke up to a chilly morning with the mercury dropping to 2.4 degrees Celsius, but as the day progressed temperature rose. The maximum temperature rose to 20.5 degrees Celsius which brought slight respite from coldwave.
Both the minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to rise on Thursday too, Kuldeep Shrivastava, the head of regional weather forecasting centre, said, noting that "cold wave" is on the wane. Light rains are also expected on Thursday, he said.
The city was wrapped in a cover of moderate fog with 29 trains being delayed by two to nine hours due to reduced visibility, officials said.
The humidity level ranged from maximum 100 percent to lowest 49 percent, he said.
The air quality in the national capital at 9.38 am on Wednesday was recorded at 433 in the "severe" category. It improved a little bit in the evening showing the air quality index at 431 at 7 PM.
The MeT department has forecast strong surface wind and light rain on Thursday.
"The day will be generally cloudy with the possibility of very light rain or drizzle. Strong surface wind will sweep the city in the daytime. The maximum and minimum temperatures would hover around 6 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively," said the MeT official.
December 2019 recorded 18 consecutive 'cold days' or an 18-day 'cold spell', the maximum after 17 cold days in December 1997.
The maximum temperature in Delhi took a big tumble on Monday to settle at 9.4 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest December day since 1901.
Snowfall, rains likely in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh experienced dry and cold weather on Wednesday with a number of places of tourist attraction in the state shivering at sub-zero temperatures. The minimum temperature was one to two notches below normal while the maximum hovered three to four degrees below normal since Tuesday, the meteorological department said.
It has predicted snow and rainfall in many places of middle, high hills of the state and thundershowers in the plains till the next seven days.
Keylong recorded the lowest temperature in the state at minus 10 degrees Celsius. Kalpa in Kinnaur district registered a low of minus 4.1 degrees Celsius, while Manali, Kufri and Solan shivered at minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, minus 2.3 degrees Celsius and minus 1 degree Celsius respectively.
The minimum temperature in Dalhousie and Shimla was 0.1 degrees Celsius and 1.4 degrees Celsius respectively. The highest maximum temperature in the state was recorded in Bilaspur at 16.5 degrees Celsius.
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