Delhi's minimum temperature dropped to 6.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the lowest in the month of November since 2003, reported news agency PTI stated.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the city had recorded a minimum of 7.5 degrees Celsius on Friday, the lowest in the month in 14 years, "The Safdarjung Observatory which provides representative data for the city, recorded a minimum of 6.9 degrees Celsius. It is Delhi's lowest minimum temperature in the month since November 2003, when the city recorded a minimum of 6.1 degrees Celsius," said Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre.
The mercury dropped to 6.1 degrees Celsius at the Palam weather station, he said.
For the plains, the IMD declares a cold wave when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal for two consecutive days. However, for small areas such as Delhi, a cold wave can be declared if the criteria is fulfilled even for a day, Srivastava said to PTI.
The all-time record for the lowest minimum temperature in November is 3.9 degrees Celsius recorded on November 28, 1938, it said.
Srivastava said icy cold winds blowing from snow-laden western Himalayas have led to a dip in the mercury.
However, the minimum temperature will rise by two to three degrees Celsius in the next four to five days under the influence of a fresh Western Disturbance, he added in the PTI report.
