New Delhi:
There was some respite from bone-chilling cold in Delhi today as day temperatures rose by over four degrees, though an icy wind blowing at nine kilometre per hour created trouble for citizens in the morning hours.
There was also no dense fog and airport functioned without any delays or problems, the regular feature for the past three days.
However, fog in other parts of north India had its ripple effect in the national capital as Railways cancelled seven trains from and rescheduled two of them, while more than 65 trains ran late.
The minimum temperature fell to 4.7 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal, but as the day progressed, the maximum rose to 15.6 degree Celsius, five degrees below normal.
Yesterday was the coldest day in the past five years with the maximum sliding to 11 degree Celsius, ten degrees below normal, and minimum to 5 degree Celsius.
A Met forecast said the weather could improve tomorrow as the day is likely to begin with mist or shallow fog and the mercury may go up by a few degrees.
"The temperature may be between seven and 17 degree Celsius. However, due to the wind chill factor, the minimum is likely to be felt around 5 degree Celsius," a senior Met official said.
Low temperatures coupled with icy winds from the northern mountains have made life difficult for the people and the capital has recorded at least three cold-related deaths since December 26.
According to Met statistics, the record for the highest maximum for the month of January was 32.5 degree Celsius recorded on the 28th of 2004. The record minimum is -0.6 degree Celsius recorded on 16th of the month in 1935.
In the past decade, only in the last year the minimum did not drop below 5 degree Celsius. In 2006, the minimum dropped to 0.2 degree Celsius on January 8, while two years later, the lowest minimum was 1.9 degree Celsius on 2nd of the month.
The mean minimum for the month of January is 7.3 degree Celsius while the mean maximum is 21.1 degree Celsius.