Delhi records lowest temperature of this season; fog delays 173 flights

Delhi recorded the coldest day this season on Monday, with the minimum temperature plunging to 4.2 degrees Celsius.

Over 170 flights were delayed due to dense fog on Monday morning.

The minimum temperature was four notches below normal, said a Met department official. The maximum settled at 15.8 degrees, six notches below normal.

“This was also the coldest December 22, with the minimum hitting the lowest in the last five years,” said the Met official.

The maximum humidity was 97 per cent and the minimum 70 per cent.
“The cold has intensified in north India because of western disturbances,” said another Met department official.

The visibility at Palam fluctuated between 75 and 100 metres from 5:30 am to 9 am, improving later.

An airport authority official said 173 flights were delayed at the IGI Airport. Of these, 97 were delayed at departure and 76 arrived late.

Over 100 flights operated during low visibility. “The flights landed using the instrument landing system. While 57 operated under CAT-I, eight operated under CAT-II,” said the official.