New Delhi: Extreme cold conditions continued in the national Capital on Thursday as it witnessed a foggy morning with the mercury dipping to 5.8 degree Celsius, two notches below the season's average, the weather office said. The cold spell is expected to continue till Friday.
According to railway officials, over 25 trains were running late by 2 to 7 hours due to dense fog in Delhi-NCR, while several flights also got canceled due to fog. On the other hand, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light to moderate rain shower in the national Capital due to western disturbances.
"Light to moderate, isolated to scattered rain/thundershower is also very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi from December 31 to January 2," reported
IMD. Minimum temperatures may rise marginally later due to this. Meanwhile, it said that the cold spell will continue to be severe for the coming days in the national Capital.
Delhi is witnessing the longest cold spell in December in 22 years. Since 1993, the national Capital has witnessed a cold spell only in four years, which is 1997, 1998, 2003, and 2014.
Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi hovered at "very poor" category. Central-government run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) model suggested an extended period of calm surface winds from December 27.