Delhi shivers as max temperature drops to lowest in 44 yrs

NEW DELHI: Bone chilling cold and icy winds left Delhiites shivering today with the maximum temperature plummeting to 9.8 deg C, the lowest in 44 years.

The minimum was recorded at 4.8 deg C, two degrees below normal but 0.8 degrees higher than yesterday's 4 deg C, which was the season's lowest.

The weather made life tough for people who found it very difficult even to walk in the afternoon hours as icy winds blew across the city. People wrapped themselves in thick winter clothing.

Today's maximum of 9.8 deg C is a 11 degrees departure from normal levels and this is the lowest maximum temperature recorded since 1969, the MeT office said.

The MeT department said the spell of intense cold would continue tomorrow.

Flight operations were also disrupted at the IGI airport as there was a drop in runway visibility to less than 25 metres. Dense fog disrupted the schedule of over 30 flights.

Yesterday, the minimum was recorded at four deg C, three notches below normal, making it this winter's lowest.