New Delhi:
Cold wave conditions further intensified in the capital on Saturday as icy winds blew through the city bringing down the minimum temperature to 5.2 degree Celsius, the lowest in the season so far.
Saturday's minimum is three degrees below normal for this time of the year and lowest on December 26 in the last five years, the Met office said.
On Friday, the minimum was 7.4 degree Celsius while on Thursday it was 6.1 degree.
The Met office said northwesterly winds blowing over north India and snowfall in higher reaches of Himachal and Kashmir valley have brought down the temperature in the city.
A thin layer of fog also engulfed the city skyline in the morning reducing the visibility to 7,00 metres. However, flight movement was not affected due to the fog.
The temperature in the city had been oscillating between six and 25 degrees Celsius in the last week.
The Weatherman has predicted mist in the morning with maximum and minimum likely to hover around 21 and five degrees Celsius respectively on Sunday.
In 2008, the lowest minimum of the month was 6.4 degree Celsius recorded on December 26 while in 2007, it was 3.9 degrees on December 29. The record for 2006 was 7.3 degree Celsius on November 29.
The all-time record for minimum temperature was recorded on December 26 of 1945 when the mercury dipped to 1.1 degree Celsius.